How to Save Her Life
by beautifulpurpleflame
Summary: Life goes on, but not for some. BBxRae
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Because of the size of this story I will be uploading ten chapters a day instead of the usual whole story at once. Please do not review until the end of the story. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 1

The car came to a stoplight and slowly halted. He was third in line which meant he could look away from the road for a moment and not worry about someone beeping at him to move. He looked into the backseat and saw her sitting in her booster seat, completely buckled up as if she were on some sort of rollercoaster ride. She was swinging her dangling legs back and forth, humming to her favorite children's CD that was currently playing. She was looking out the window at all the other cars until she felt her father's eyes on her. She turned and smiled.

"What?" she giggled.

"Nothing, just watching you," he said with a smile.

"You're silly," she laughed and went back to looking out the window.

He chuckled and looked back to the road. She looked so much like her mother; her skin might have been green, but she had beautiful blond hair and striking blue eyes. And as much as he loved that fact, it also pained him horribly. She'd died three months ago in battle like a true hero. At least, that was what he told his daughter. She didn't need to know the truth of the situation.

"Daddy, are we almost there?" she asked.

"Almost," he said.

The light turned green and the two cars in front of him took off. He took one last look at his daughter and then began driving once more. No one would have ever thought he, Beast Boy, would be a cautious driver, but when his precious little girl was with him he was worse than a Sunday driver. It was something the guys at the tower always made fun of him for.

The tower. God, how _that_ had changed over the years. Ten years ago it'd been just him and the original Teen Titans. Just the five of them trying to save the city, sometimes the world, and discovering who they were going to be as they grew up. Now it housed ten occupants, though it was eleven a few months ago.

Nightwing, formerly known as Robin, and Starfire were happily married and had a three year old girl, Nicole, and one year old twin boys, Jack and Eric. Cyborg and his wife Bumblebee had a six year old son named Taye. And then there was Beast Boy and Terra, who never officially married, who had their five year old daughter.

"Daddy, we're here!" she cheered excitedly.

He looked up and saw it; the city's library. "Yup, we're here," he said, looking at her in the rearview mirror with a smile. He turned into the parking lot and looked for a safe spot to park.

"I hope I didn't miss story time," she said, kicking her feet wildly.

"Don't worry, I got you here in time," he chuckled and pulled into a parking spot. He turned the car off and got out, hurrying over to her side. He opened her door and began unbuckling her from the various buckles and clips of her seat. All the while she was kicking her legs anxiously. He finally got her free and placed her on the ground.

"Bye!" she said and began to run towards the library.

"Crystal, stop!" he ordered quickly.

She stopped where she was and looked back towards her father. "What?" she asked.

"Wait for me," he said, setting the car alarm.

"Why?" she asked, a bit confused.

"Why? Because you'll get hit by a car," he said, walking over to her. "You should know better than to just go running off."

"But mommy never walked me in," said Crystal. "She stopped over there and let me out."

"She never went in with you?" asked Beast Boy.

"No," said Crystal, innocently shaking her head. "She always dropped me off."

Beast Boy had not known about this. He couldn't believe that all this time when he thought Terra had taken their daughter to the library for the day she'd just dropped her off. Where the heck did she go? How could she leave their little girl all alone?

"Well, I'm not dropping you off," he said, taking her hand. "I'm coming in with you." And with that the two made their way across the parking lot to the library. Crystal was so excited she was skipping as they walked and swinging her and her father's arm back and forth.

They made it to the doors and Crystal threw one open and ran inside. He quickly followed in after her, afraid he'd lose sight of her. She was very quick and never seemed to walk anywhere; she ran! Luckily, because of her green skin, he couldn't really lose her in a crowd, but he still worried.

Crystal ran across the library, right passed the children's section, to the main desk where all of the checking in and out of books and such was done. She was still too small to really see above it, so she stood on her tiptoes to see the young woman behind the desk.

"Hi!" she said excitedly.

"Crystal Logan," said the woman. "I was wondering when I'd see you again."

"Did I miss story time?" she asked, unable to keep still.

"No," the woman chuckled softly. "It's going to start in five minutes, so you better go get a good seat."

"Okay," she smiled and went running off, only to run right back. "Are you gonna read to us?"

"No, not today, sweetheart," said the woman. "I'm not feeling very well."

"Oh, okay," she said and went running off again, only to return once more. "Oh, guess what?"

"What?" said the woman amused.

"My daddy's here today!" said Crystal.

The woman's smiled disappeared and she looked up, beyond the little girl at her desk. Sure enough, he was walking straight for her. "Oh, uh, why don't you show him the children's section?" she suggested, an uneasiness in her voice.

"But I want you to meet him," said Crystal.

"That's okay, Crystal," said the woman, standing up from her desk. "I've got work to do. Now hurry up and get a good seat for story time." To her relief, Crystal decided she was right and ran towards the children's section.

Beast Boy was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. That woman at the desk, she looked like… no, it couldn't have been her. There was no way that all this time she'd been here. He watched Crystal exchange a few words with her and then come running back to him. And the woman quickly stood up and went into a backroom.

"Daddy, come on," said Crystal, reaching him and taking his hand again.

"Okay, I'm coming," he laughed and let her drag him to the children's section. "Hey, who were you talking to?"

"Ms. Rachel," said Crystal. "She always takes care of me when mommy drops me off."

"Ms. Rachel?" said Beast Boy. "That's her name?"

"I guess so," Crystal shrugged.

They reached the children's section and Crystal quickly ran off to the corner where story time was to take place. She grabbed a pillow from a large box of small pillows, found a free space on the floor among the various other children, and sat down. Beast Boy wasn't sure what to do now. He saw other adults, parents of the other children, sitting at the little children's tables and reading various books and magazines while their kids were entertained. He decided, as long as she was safe and watched in here, he could go look around.

It had been sometime since he'd been in a library. He wasn't even sure if he'd ever been in this one. He just wasn't one who liked to read. When he was younger he'd read comic books, but that was about it. Besides, whenever he saw a library or anywhere that had books he'd think of… her. The one he thought he'd saw only a few minutes before; the only member of the Titans to leave and disappear from the face of the Earth.

He slowly walked around the library, looking around. It was very old, very large, and very quiet; especially for a Saturday. He couldn't believe how quiet it was. It'd been some time since he'd been anywhere quiet. He certainly wasn't going to get any silence back at the tower. Not with five children running around, yelling, screaming, laughing, and crying.

The silence was broken when he heard soft talking. He turned and saw a man asking a young woman a question. It was the same woman Crystal had spoken to. What was her name? Ms. Rachel? He began walking towards her so he could get a better look.

"…yes, just go up those stairs and the history section is on the left," she said.

"Thanks," said the man and off he went.

Beast Boy was sure his mind was playing some sort of trick on him. This woman was scarily familiar. She held the book in her arms just like her. She carried herself just like her. God, she even had pale skin and that soft, emotionless voice. But her hair was black; still short, but black. And she had bangs, covering her forehead so he could see if she still bore a chakra. She was in a long sleeved white blouse and a long black skirt; very professional. He had to see her face.

"Ms. Rachel?" he said.

The woman turned with a soft smile, but upon seeing him her face went blank. He couldn't believe it. The same violet eyes, the same pouting lips, the same face! It had to be her.

"R-Raven?" he said, shocked.

She quickly regained her composure and said, "Can I help you sir?"

"Uh, Raven, it's me," he said.

"I'm sorry?" she said. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

"I… I don't think so," said Beast Boy, getting an even better look at her. He looked down at her shirt and saw that she had a nametag that, sure enough, read 'Rachel Roth'. "You changed your name to Rachel?"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you have me confused with someone else," she said.

"Come on, you gotta know who I am!" he said.

"Of course I do," she said. "You're Garfield 'Beast Boy' Logan, city and world hero; member of the ever famous Titans. I don't think there's a person in the city who doesn't know who you are, even if you are in normal clothes."

"Oh," he said. It was true, he was currently in jeans and a tee-shirt; not his fighting uniform.

"Sorry for your loss, by the way," she said. "I'm guessing that's why Crystal hasn't been here lately."

"Oh, uh, yeah," he said. "So, you've been taking care of her, huh? Not all the time, right?"

"No, not all of the time," said Rachel. "Her mother only dropped her off a few days a week."

"So… she really never came in with her?" asked Beast Boy.

"Oh, she did the first time, two years back," said Rachel. "But, after that, she dropped her off alone and I would watch her until she came back to get her."

"Two years ago?" said Beast Boy. "Crystal was only three! She left her all alone here when she was three?!"

"She wasn't alone, I took care of her," said Rachel. "Trust me, I wouldn't let anything happen to her. She's in good hands."

"Jesus, I never knew any of this," said Beast Boy, running a hand through his hair.

"By the way, sir, I suggest you get back in the children's center," she said. "We don't allow children under twelve to be alone."

"But she's in story time or whatever," said Beast Boy.

"Yes, and all of the other parents are there, aren't they?" said Rachel evenly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." And with that she turned and began walking back to her desk.

He watched her walk away and studied her again. She walked just like Raven; quick and fluidly as if floating with a slight graceful swing in her hips. He could never forget her walk. He could never forget anything about her. Not even after she'd been gone for six years. This Rachel had to be her. She had to be Raven.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 2

Rachel placed her coat on and turned off the last of the lights. She exited the doors and locked them. It was nearing nine and she felt quite tired. She couldn't wait to go home, have a cup of tea, and go to bed. She walked over to her car and was met with a very unpleasant surprise. Beast Boy was leaning against her car, waiting for her.

"Can I help you?" she snapped.

"Yeah," he said, standing up straight. "You wanna tell me why you're here and not at the tower?"

"Sir, I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "Now get away from my car or I'll call the police."

"Rae, I'm above the police!" he laughed.

"My name is Rachel," she said angrily. "And I don't care who you are, go away!" She went to her car door and began unlocking it.

"You think by dying your hair and wearing a skirt you can conceal who you are?" he said, quickly going over to her.

"I do _not_ dye my hair," she said, opening her car door.

"Then why's it black?" he asked. "You have purpley hair, not black."

"That's not even a word," she said. "And my hair is black, sir."

"Well then let me see your forehead," said Beast Boy.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Come on, I just gotta see something," he said, reaching forward. "Then I'll leave you alone."

"What are you-" she began, but not in time. Beast Boy reached forward to move her bangs out of the way. Unfortunately, she tried to duck out of his grasp and this only allowed him to push her black wig clean off. It fell to the ground and revealed that under it lie a purple head of hair tied in a bun.

"Raven?" said Beast Boy, shocked. She looked to the ground and bit her lip. He smiled and said, "Is it really you?"

She then looked up, yelled, "You jerk!" and punched him right in the face.

He fell to the ground and grabbed his cheek in pain. "Yup," he said, wincing. "It's you."

"Why did you do that?!" she yelled.

"Hey, I was just trying to see your forehead," he said, looking up at her. "Which I see my suspicions were right, there's your chakra. You _were_ hiding it."

"Along with the rest of my past identity," she spat. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?" She quickly got into her car and Beast Boy quickly got back to his feet.

"Wait, where're you going?" he said.

"Home," she said, turning her car on.

"What? Raven, I finally found you after six years and you just wanna leave?" he said. "We've been worried sick! You at least owe me an explanation."

"I don't owe you anything," she said.

"Oh, yes you do," said Beast Boy. "Years ago I saved you and you saved me. You accepted me for who I was and I accepted you for who you were. We were friends, whether you wanna admit it or not. And then you just left one day without a word. Every day since then I've thought about you and whether you're alive or not. Six years of worrying and wondering every day? Yeah, you owe me an explanation."

Raven gripped her steering wheel and sighed. "Fine," she said. "Get in."

Beast Boy quickly ran around and got in the passenger's side. "Thank you," she said, buckling up.

They pulled out of the library parking lot and got on the road. He looked over to her and saw her looking straight ahead at the road, as if he wasn't even there. As she drove she took the various pins and an elastic out of her hair, allowing it to unravel and fall past her shoulders.

"Your hair's longer," he said, trying to make conversation with her.

"So is yours," she said.

"Yeah, but not much," he laughed. "You know, other than your hair, you don't look all that different."

"Thanks," she said evenly. "Where's Crystal?"

"In bed," said Beast Boy.

"Does anyone know that you came after me?" she asked.

"No," he said. "I told them I was going out for some fresh air."

She turned into a diner and found a parking spot. She parked and proceeded to get out. "Well, are you coming or what?" she said.

"I thought you were gonna take me to your place," he said, unbuckling.

"I'm not that stupid," she said and closed her door. "Like I want you knowing where I live."

He quickly closed his door and ran around to catch up with her. She walked swiftly and reached the doors of the diner, throwing them open and entering without even a second thought of the man behind her. After nearly catching the door in his face he followed in after her and the two got a booth.

"Jesus, you're the same as ever," he said, sitting down.

"Forgive me, I'm not exactly in the best of moods right now," she said and placed her face in her hands as she leaned on the table with her elbows. "And I can't for the life of me figure out why you couldn't just leave me alone."

"Uh, cuz you've been missing for six years!" he said.

"I haven't been missing," said Raven. "I've been here the whole time."

"And you couldn't have called us or something?" he said.

"Are you just here to yell at me?" she said, exasperated.

He sighed and said, "No. It's just… I can't believe it's you. I mean, we never thought we'd see you again. We've missed you, you know. Did you miss us?"

"Of course I did," she said.

A waitress came up to the booth with a smile and said, "Hey, can I get you two something?"

"I'll have a cup of decaf tea, please," said Raven. "And a turkey club sandwich."

"Alright," said the waitress, writing down the order. "And you, sir?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, I'll have a cola and a small salad," he said.

"Alright, it'll be up in a minute," she said with a smile and left.

"Since when do you eat after eight?" asked Beast Boy. "Or at all?"

"Since I got a job that doesn't get out until nine," said Raven. "And I eat just like any normal person."

"I never saw you eat when you were at the tower," said Beast Boy. "You know, other than pizza when we all went out."

"Did you think I just starved myself?" she said, bringing her purse onto the table. She opened it and took out a small bottle. She poured out three different looking pills.

"What are those for?" he asked, curiously.

"Vitamins," she said simply and began to itch her left wrist and then her right.

Beast Boy found this odd and looked closely. Through the white material of her blouse he swore he could see something wrapped around both her wrists. "Uh, Raven, can I see your wrists?" he asked.

"No," she said plainly.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I said so," said Raven.

"Raven," he said sternly, which certainly caught her attention. He placed his hand out and said, "Let me see your wrists."

She looked at him with a harsh glare, but was only received the same glare in return from him. She had expected him to cower, like he used to when they were younger. But he was a man now and a simple glare wasn't going to affect him anymore. Her look softened and then she sighed. "Fine," she said. She unbuttoned the cuffs of both her sleeves and pushed them up. She then held both her wrists out to him. "There, are you happy?"

Beast Boy was shocked to see bandage wrappings covering both her underarms and wrists. "Raven… what'd you do?" he said, fully concerned.

"It wasn't my fault," she said, quickly pulling her arms back and covering them up. "Look, my damn doctor prescribed me pills that aren't supposed to be mixed. I took them, went a little crazy, and tried to kill myself. I barely remember it I was so drugged."

"Why did you need pills in the first place?" asked Beast Boy.

"None of your business," said Raven. The waitress came over and gave them their orders. Raven quickly made her tea, took a sip, and downed the three pills. Then she took a big bite of her club sandwich.

"Raven, do you really think you're going to leave me hanging here?" said Beast Boy, crossing his arms.

"Yes," she said looking down, not daring to look at him anymore.

He groaned and leaned on the table much like she did a few minutes before. "I can't believe you're still being stubborn like this," he said. "You still think you have to handle everything on your own. Why can't you ever ask for help?"

"Because I don't need help," she said growing angry again.

"Obviously you do if you're taking pills for something and then go off and try to kill yourself!" he said.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" she said. "It was a bad combination of pills. And, yes, I did leave to handle things on my own. Excuse me for trying to be independent."

"No, you were being stupid," he said plainly, again shocking her. "What the hell could you have been going through that we couldn't have helped you with?"

"Fine, you want to know," she said, taking another bite of her sandwich. "I was going through a bit of a nervous breakdown that I didn't want any of you involved with."

"Nervous breakdown?" said Beast Boy. "That's why you left?"

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" she snapped.

"Oh, would you calm down," he said. "Anyway, you should have asked for help if you were in trouble. You know we're always there for you."

"I know and obviously I didn't want your help," said Raven. "Look, the fact is that when I was having this… breakdown… you were all very happy and I didn't want to bring you down."

"What do you mean?" asked Beast Boy.

"Well Robin…" she began.

"Nightwing," interrupted Beast Boy.

"That's right, he's going by Nightwing now," said Raven. "Anyway, he and Starfire were engaged, Cyborg and Bumblebee were expecting a baby, and you and Terra had finally gotten together. And there I was about to go over the edge. You were all so happy I didn't want to ruin it."

"So you left to handle this on your own just so you wouldn't trouble us?" he asked. "Raven, when you disappeared we were all panicked! It would've been better if you'd told us what was going on."

"Look, what's done is done," said Raven. "I'm quite… happy, with my choice, and I'm sure you've all been doing fine without me."

"Sure, we've been fine," said Beast Boy. "But we've missed you. I mean, you weren't there for Nightwing and Star's wedding, any of the kids' births, or… or Terra's funeral."

"I did go to that," said Raven. "I paid my respects and then left before any of you could see me. I'm not that cold hearted, you know."

"Oh," said Beast Boy. "Well… that makes me feel a little better."

He picked at his salad while Raven ate her sandwich. He occasionally looked at her and found her to be simply looking out the window while she ate. She looked tired and anything but happy.

She finished her sandwich and grabbed some money from her purse. "Well, I've got to be going," she said. "It was nice catching up with you. Don't tell anyone you saw me." And with that she stood up to leave.

"Raven, I can't let you just go," he said quickly, standing up with her. "Come on, come back to the tower with me. You don't have to be alone anymore."

"That's alright," said Raven. "I'm perfectly fine by myself."

"That wasn't a suggestion," he said crossing his arms.

Raven frowned and said, "And who are you to…to tell me… what to-." But she never got a chance finish her sentence. The room began to spin in her eyes and she felt her consciousness slip away from her.

Beast Boy watched as Ravens eyes swiveled about and she wavered. Then, all at once, she dropped to the floor. He quickly went to her and tried to bring her back.

"Raven?" he said, holding her. "Raven, wake up!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 3

The adults were quite glad all the children were in bed; otherwise they would never have had a chance to have a serious meeting like this. They were all in the common room, discussing a certain young woman who now lay in their med bay; a young woman who hadn't been in the tower in six years.

"I can't believe you found her," said Cyborg.

"Yeah, and evidently Crystal's known her for years," said Beast Boy.

"She's been in the library this whole time?" said Nightwing. "How could we have missed looking there?"

"Well, Terra was always at the library," said Bumblebee. "Maybe she knew and Raven made her promise not to tell anyone."

"Maybe," Beast Boy shrugged.

"But what is wrong with Raven?" asked Starfire. "Why did she do the fainting and why will she not wake up?"

"She's got a few medications in her system," said Cyborg. "But none of them are known to cause fainting. At this point, I don't know what's going on with her."

"From what Beast Boy's said, it sounds like she's been going through a rough time," said Bumblebee. "Poor thing."

"Well, at least she's home," said Nightwing. "I can finally rest easy knowing she's safe."

"You said it," said Cyborg. "I'm gonna give that girl a stern talking to when she wakes up for all the worrying she's put us through."

"I told her that, but she didn't seem sorry at all," said Beast Boy.

"Oh, I hope she will be alright," said Starfire in a worried tone.

"Don't worry, she's just sleeping at this point," said Bumblebee. "She'll be up by morning."

"In that case, I'm going to bed," said Beast Boy. "I'm exhausted. Goodnight, dudes."

"Goodnight Beast Boy," they all said and watched him leave.

On his way to his room he passed Crystal's room and looked in on her. She was fast asleep in her pink princess bed that she loved, though she'd kicked her covers off. He smiled and went in to tuck her in again. He pulled her blankets over her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He loved her so much.

He made one more stop before finally going to his room. He went to the med bay to check in on Raven. She was curled up on her side fast asleep, a few strands of her long hair falling into her face. He moved them back and got a good look at her. Even in sleep she seemed uneasy. He caught sight of her bandaged wrists and arms and decided to get a look at the wounds himself. Gently, he unwrapped them and took the bandages away.

He couldn't believe what he saw. Her wrists and arms were horribly sliced like he'd only seen in horror pictures. He wasn't sure how she could have survived such a brutal attack on herself. He wondered why her healing powers hadn't taken care of them.

He re-bandaged her arms and wrists and took one last look at her. He felt so… sorry for her. The rest of them had children and were even married. Raven had chosen to go off and be alone so she wouldn't disrupt the happiness the rest of them had. She was secretly suffering while the rest of them were happy and in love. But, that was Raven.

He sighed and decided to finally go to bed. He was the only one in the tower who went to bed alone. And it hadn't just been since Terra's death three months before. A year after Crystal had been born the two found them selves no longer in love. They were constantly fighting and annoyed the hell out of each other. The fact was that they were just too much alike.

And the one thing they were different about was parenting. Terra found that she didn't really like the whole mother thing, not that she had a choice. She was far less careful with Crystal and would give her to Starfire or Bumblebee so she wouldn't have to be inconvenienced. Beast Boy, on the other hand, was scarily cautious. They had had many fights where Terra would accuse him of being too protective and Beast Boy would accuse her of being neglectful.

In the end, they just couldn't see eye to eye and broke up. He certainly was glad he hadn't married her. The divorce would have been very messy. The only thing that changed after they broke up was that Terra moved into her own room.

Beast Boy changed and climbed into bed feeling very tired. It had certainly been an eventful day; that was for sure. And he knew that the next day probably wasn't going to be any better. Raven would be upset about being brought to the tower, the others would try to get answers out of her, and the kids would ask questions about what was going on. He wondered how Crystal was going to react when she found out Ms. Rachel from the library was in her home.

The night passed and morning soon took over. As the sun raised ever higher into the sky one by one the residents of the T shaped tower awoke. It wasn't long before everyone was up, hustling and bustling about.

The door to the med bay slowly slid open and three little heads looked inside. Raven still lay asleep in her bed, so they figured it'd be safe to enter.

"See? I told you!" Crystal whispered.

"Wow, why's the librarian here?" asked Taye.

"Who's she?!" said Nicole, who, at three, still hadn't gotten a hang on whispering.

"Hush!" the other two said and quickly covered the young girl's mouth.

Raven groaned and wakefulness came to her. She placed her hand to her head and sat up. She slowly opened her eyes and waited for them to focus. "Damn, I must have fainted," she said to herself. She saw something move out of the corner of her eye and turned.

She was quite surprised to see three little kids staring at her. One she knew to be Crystal. She guessed who the other two were. The older boy, who looked just like Cyborg minus the robotic parts, she guessed to be Taye and the littlest girl who had black hair like Nightwing she guessed was Nicole.

"What're you three doing here?" she asked.

"What're _we_ doing here?" said Taye. "What're _you_ doing here? Don't you live at the library or something?"

Raven had to chuckle at that. "No," she said. "Just because I work there doesn't mean I live there. Oh no, what time is it?!" She looked around the room and saw that it was just past nine. "Oh God, I'm late."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and went to stand up. Her legs quickly gave out on her and she nearly fell to the floor, had she not grabbed the bed on the way down. She tried to find her footing, but found her strength had left her.

Unsure of what was going on, the three children quickly left to tell their parents. Raven watched them leave and sighed. 'I must have frightened them away,' she thought, pulling herself back onto the bed to sit. Her head still felt dizzy.

It wasn't long before the news spread that Raven was awake and the Titan men rushed to see her while the Titan women tended to the children who were filled with questions. They found her sitting on the bed, waiting for them. And she did not look happy, especially towards Beast Boy.

"Well, look who decided to rise and shine," said Cyborg with a smile, crossing his arms.

"What the hell am I doing here?" she spat, not in the least pleasant.

"Nice to see you again, too," said Cyborg.

"After you passed out in the diner I had to bring you somewhere," said Beast Boy. "I would've brought you home if you'd told me where you live."

"Like hell you would have," said Raven. "You would've brought me here regardless."

"Okay, fine, yeah, I would have," said Beast Boy, not liking her attitude. "So sorry for trying to help you."

"You should be sorry," she said, attempting to stand up again. And, again, it was a futile attempt as she fell.

"Raven!" all three said, going to her aid.

"I'm fine!" she said angrily. "Leave me alone."

"Raven, you're not leaving," said Nightwing.

"Oh, yes I am," she said defiantly. "I have a job to get to, which I'm late for."

"Don't worry, we called the library and told them you wouldn't be coming in today," said Nightwing.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she said. "I'm perfectly fine!"

"Raven, you fainted for no reason," said Cyborg, trying to calm her down. "You call that being perfectly fine?"

"I didn't faint for no reason," said Raven. "I'm going through various medication withdrawals and my body isn't taking it very well. Sometimes I faint, sometimes I feel really tired, and sometimes I feel sick. I've gotten used to it."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about all of these medications you're taking," said Nightwing. "And why you left in the first place."

Raven moaned and placed her face in her hands. "I really don't want to talk about it," she said.

"Well too bad," Beast Boy snapped. "Start talking." Raven frowned and glared at him. He only glared back. "Now!"

She grabbed onto the bedding tightly and looked to the floor. She closed her eyes and said something in a soft mumble.

"What?" the three said, leaning in to hear her.

She took in a big breath and looked up to meet their eyes. "I'm dying," she said clearly.

This certainly caught them by surprise and they looked to each other in shock. They looked back to her and saw her biting her lip and looking off to the side. They hadn't expected that answer at all.

"You're… dying?" asked Cyborg, trying to make sure he, and the other two, had heard her right.

"Yes," she said, still refusing to look at them.

"Whoa, wait a second," said Beast Boy. "Yesterday you said you left because you had a nervous breakdown."

"Why do you think I was having a nervous breakdown?" she spat.

"But… but…" Beast Boy sputtered, trying to figure this out.

She sighed and said, "Fine, I'll tell you everything. But you have to promise me that when I'm done you'll let me leave."

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked to Nightwing, who was in charge. "I can't make that promise, Raven," he said firmly. "You're not well enough to leave even if we were going to let you go, so you might as well tell us what's going on."

"Fine," said Raven, irritably. She felt achy all over and that wasn't a good sign. "Alright, a few years ago we defeated my father from coming to Earth. And afterwards I had more of an emotional freedom, now that he didn't have any control over me."

"Yeah, we know that," said Cyborg.

"Though you didn't really use your emotions even though you had them," Beast Boy said, aside.

"Well, years passed and everything seemed fine," said Raven, giving a quick glare at Beast Boy. "But, then, I began to feel… odd. My body felt tired and weary. So, secretly, I did some research to find out what was going on. It took me nearly a year to figure it all out. You see, my body was supposed to die when I was sixteen. So that's how long it was supposed to last for. Since I didn't die, my body's been living past its, well, let's say its expiration date."

"But why did you leave?" asked Cyborg. "We could have done something to help you!"

"I didn't want you guys involved," said Raven. "I found this out just when you were all settling down and getting ready to live happy lives. I didn't want to rain on your parade, or whatever. So I left."

"To die alone?" said Beast Boy.

"Basically," said Raven. "And the reason I've lasted this long is because I went to the hospital and decided to let them have a field day with me. I'll tell you, you get paid a lot of money when every doctor in the state is trying to keep you alive; especially if you're a superhero. That's why I've been taking different medications. They're to keep my body from shutting down."

"So, was the story you told Beast Boy about trying to kill yourself true?" asked Nightwing.

"Yes," said Raven. "I took a bad combination of pills and temporarily lost my mind. That was about two weeks ago."

"What about your powers?" asked Cyborg.

"Gone," said Raven. "I'm just a normal, dying human now. A normal dying human with purple hair."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 4

Once Raven had told them the whole story, the true story, they left her alone to rest while they told the girls about the situation. Needless to say, Starfire began crying immediately.

"Is… Is she really dying?" asked Starfire, sniffling.

"I doubt Raven would lie about something like this," said Beast Boy.

"And everything she's said seems to be checking out," said Nightwing. "I've called the hospital and they've confirmed that they've been experimenting to keep her alive."

"I just don't understand why her body's dying," said Bumblebee. "I mean, I can understand that she wasn't supposed to live this long, but she seemed perfectly healthy for a while there. And she certainly doesn't look like she _wants_ to die."

"We asked her as many questions as we could to try and figure it out, too," said Cyborg. "The best way she could explain it was that though her soul had a lot to live for, her body felt that she didn't. Nothing's giving her body a good reason to continue livin."

"Poor Raven," said Starfire, about to cry again.

"Alright, let's not cry anymore," said Nightwing. "This was why Raven left in the first place; so we wouldn't get upset about her situation. If she finds out how upset we are she'll do something drastic to get out of here."

"Well, I'm sorry, but it's pretty damn hard not to get upset," said Bumblebee.

"Look, the good news out of all of this is that Raven's home," said Beast Boy.

"BB's right," said Cyborg. "She's here and we're not gonna let her leave again."

"Not that she could without her powers, anyway," said Bumblebee.

Raven sat in her bed in the med bay, looking out the window. She felt terribly ill and this was because she hadn't taken her morning pills. They were back at her apartment. If she didn't get them into her system soon she wasn't sure what her body would do. She prayed she wouldn't go insane again and try to speed up her death.

She heard the med bay doors open and turned to see who had come in to bother her this time. She knew it was only a matter of time before Starfire came in to blubber all over her. She was surprised to see Crystal standing there with a book in her hands.

"Can I help you?" asked Raven.

"Um, I just wanted to see how you were," said Crystal, walking over to her. "I heard you're sick."

"Sort of," said Raven. "Surprised to see me in your home?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "But I'm happy! Now you can read to me, cuz you didn't get to do story time yesterday. You're the best reader!"

"You want me to read to you?" asked Raven. "Now?"

"Yes, please Ms. Rachel," said Crystal, nodding.

Raven smiled and said, "Alright, come on up. And you don't have to call me Ms. Rachel anymore. You can call me Raven."

"Oh, is that your name?" asked Crystal, getting on the chair and then crawling onto the bed.

"Yes, that's my real name," said Raven, helping her into her lap. This was how she always read to Crystal when it was just the two of them. They had spent nearly three to four days a week together for the past two years. Crystal saw Raven more often than her own mother. "Do you want to help me read?"

"Yeah," she said excitedly.

"Okay," Raven chuckled and opened the large book Crystal had brought in with her. "Once…"

"Up-on a ti-me," read Crystal slowly.

"Once upon a time," repeated Raven so she could hear the words correctly. "There…"

Beast Boy looked up and down the halls for Crystal. She was usually playing in her room at this time, but he found her missing. He knew she was in the tower, but still he was nervous. He blamed his damn animal DNA for his overprotective behavior.

After looking just about everywhere and thinking about calling the other Titans for help, he decided to look in on Raven and see if she'd seen Crystal. At least she knew who Crystal was and could say yes or no.

The med bay doors opened and he was met with a surprising site. Crystal was sitting in Ravens lap with a book, and the two were reading! They looked to the door upon hearing it open and saw him. Crystal smiled and waved to him.

"Hi, daddy!" she said.

"Uh, hi," said Beast Boy, walking over to them. "What's going on?"

"Raven's reading with me," said Crystal with a smile. "Just like we do at the library."

"Oh," he said reaching them. "How're you feeling, Raven?"

"Fine," she said simply. She might have been in the tower but that didn't mean she had to tell them how sick she really felt. She wasn't going to let them worry about her. But, at this very moment, she did actually feel pretty good. "You've got a real scholar here, Beast Boy," she said, smiling down at Crystal.

The little girl smiled proudly. "Yeah, I can read!" she said.

"You can?" he said.

"Yeah, you wanna see?" she asked.

"Sure," he said with a smile.

Crystal was bouncing up and down she was so excited. She looked down in the book and found the sentence they'd left off on. "B-But the sm-all bed was just ri-g-h-t. What's that word?"

"Right," said Raven.

"Oh," said Crystal. "But the small bed was just r-right. See?! I can read, daddy!"

"You sure can," he said, proudly. "Where'd you learn to read so well?"

"Raven," said Crystal.

"She's been reading for a few months," said Raven. "She caught on very quickly."

"You taught her how to read?" asked Beast Boy, surprised.

"She wanted to learn and in school she's still a year away from really reading," said Raven. "Now she'll be ahead of the class, not that she probably wasn't already."

Crystal was beaming and Beast Boy could see that. She looked like she was glowing with all of this positive attention Raven was giving her. And Raven looked quite happy with Crystal in her lap with a book. He never thought of Raven as someone who liked children, not after the near disaster with Melvin, Timmy Tantrum, and Teether. But she looked quite content at the moment.

"Uh, Crystal, I need to talk to Raven," said Beast Boy, lifting Crystal off of Ravens lap. "Why don't you go watch TV for a little while?"

"Aw," said Crystal, disappointed. "I wanna read more."

"We can read later, if you want," said Raven with a soft smile.

Crystal smiled back and said, "Okay!" And with that she went running off.

"Don't run!" he called after her.

"Alright, what do you want?" said Raven, her mood changing immediately.

"Well, for one, I'd like it if you'd relax and not act so pissy around me," said Beast Boy. "How come you could be all sweet with Crystal and all mean with me?"

"Crystal isn't keeping me here against my will," said Raven, trying to get comfortable. She sat back and rested against her pillow. She was beginning to feel achy all over once more.

"We're keeping you here for your own good," said Beast Boy, noticing that she didn't look well anymore. "You okay?"

"I told you, I'm fine," she said, closing her eyes. "I haven't taken my morning pills and my body's reacting to that."

"Do you want me to go get them?" he asked. "If you tell me where you live and where they are I'll bring them back here."

"That's okay," she said. "I don't really like the idea of you or anyone else going through my apartment."

"But you're gonna suffer if you don't take your meds," said Beast Boy.

"I'll be fine," she said firmly. A headache suddenly infected her as well and she was beginning to feel quite miserable.

"What if you're not?" said Beast Boy. "You said you and Crystal would read again later. What if you're sick and can't do it? She's gonna be disappointed."

"Then why don't _you_ read with her?" snapped Raven. "You're her father."

Beast Boy frowned and was about to say something to her, but held back. His animal instincts were kicking in and he could feel that she was in distress. She was in pain and doing her best to hide it. That was why she was being so short with him. He sighed and decided it'd be best if he left.

"Alright, I'm not gonna fight with you," he said calmly. "Just call out if you need anything and one of us should hear you." And with that he turned and exited the med bay.

Raven was relieved and once he was gone let out a painful moan. She really felt sick and longed to take her medication. But there was no way that was going to happen. She wasn't allowed to leave, she wasn't going to let anyone know how much pain she was in, and she wasn't going to let anyone go into her apartment.

Beast Boy went to the common room where most of the others were already. The only one missing was Nightwing who was busy in the evidence room working on a case. Starfire was lying on the floor on a blanket with the twins, playing with them. They both had her red hair and their father's blue eyes. Bumblebee was sitting on the couch with Cyborg watching TV, very closely. The three kids were at the kitchen table half coloring and half watching the television as well. He went right for the telephone and dialed the hospital.

"Hi, this is Beast Boy of the Teen Titans," he said. "I'd like to speak to Dr. Hill… okay, thanks…" While he waited he noticed that suddenly the whole room was watching him. God, they were nosey. "Yeah, hi this is Beast Boy… yeah, Raven's staying with us… well, I was wondering if you could send her prescriptions here, since she's with us now… no, she hasn't… yeah, she's not doing too well… I'd really appreciate it… And how long will that take?.. Yeah, the sooner the better… Actually, why don't you get it ready and I'll come pick it up… Yup, that sounds good… okay, I'll see you in a few minutes… thanks again, sir." And with that he hung up.

"What was that about?" asked Cyborg.

"I'm gonna go get Ravens meds so she doesn't die on us," said Beast Boy plainly. "She's not doing so well but it'd be a cold day in Hell when she'd admit it."

"Daddy, is Raven gonna be okay?" asked Crystal.

Beast Boy wasn't sure how to answer that question. "Well… she's gonna feel better soon," he said. "Just make sure you leave her alone and don't ask to read with her until I say so, okay?"

"Okay," she said and got back to drawing.

"I'll be back soon," he said, grabbing his coat. "Be good."

"I will," she called after him like she always did whenever he told her to be good.

Raven lay curled up in her bed, trying to rest. Her entire body ached and she had a killer headache. 'Dear Azar,' she thought. 'If I don't take my medication I'm going to die within the week. What am I going to do? Damn them for keeping me here. Damn them for caring. Damn them!'

She drifted in and out of sleep for what seemed hours until Beast Boy arrived to pester her again. "God, what do you want this time?" she moaned, not even bothering to hide how in pain she was.

"I brought you your meds," he said kindly. "Come on, take them so you can feel better."

"How the hell did you get them?" she snapped.

"I called your doctor and had him give me a new prescription of all your medications," said Beast Boy. "Don't worry, I didn't break into your apartment or anything. I still don't even know where it is. Now sit up and take them."

Raven groaned, but did as he told her. She slowly sat up, he even helped her, and took the pills he offered her and the glass of water. She downed them quickly and then lay back down.

"How long do they usually take to kick in?" he asked softly.

"Usually only a half hour," she said. "Thanks."

"For what?" he asked.

"For what do you think?" said Raven. "For getting my prescriptions for me."

"Oh, no problem," said Beast Boy. "Just glad you'll be feeling better soon. Um, I'll leave you alone to rest again. Don't forget, call out if you need anything."

"Got it," said Raven, shooing him away as she got comfortable in bed again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 5

Within the hour Raven finally began to feel better. Her headache subsided and her aches faded away. She was still a bit tired, but that's how she normally felt nowadays. She actually felt well enough to finally get out of bed and see everyone.

"Thanks for letting me borrow these," said Raven as she slipped into a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt from Bumblebee.

"No problem," said Bumblebee. "It's nice to see you up."

"I'm not usually bedridden like this," said Raven, tying her long hair into a low ponytail. "It's only when I don't take my medication."

"Oh, Raven, are you certain you are feeling better?" said a worried Starfire. "You do not have to get up if you are still feeling ill."

"No, I'm fine," said Raven. "Besides, I want to get out of here."

"Very well," said Starfire, still not convinced that Raven was alright.

The three made their way to the common room. On their way they bumped into Nightwing as he exited the evidence room. He was surprised to see her up, but happy.

"Wow, you're looking better," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," said Raven. "Still working on old cases, I see."

"Criminals don't rest, Raven," chuckled Nightwing.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Raven, brushing him off.

They all made it to the common room where Raven finally got to see the entire Titan family. She couldn't believe how many people there were. To think that it once housed just the five of them.

"Raven!" said Crystal, excitedly leaping off of the couch and running over to her, giving her a big hug. "Are you better now?"

"I'm _feeling_ better," said Raven, smiling down at her. "Are we still going to read together later?"

"Yeah!" said Crystal, jumping up and down.

"Good," said Raven.

Suddenly the room was filled with a blinking red light as well as a siren. The twins began crying, but the other three children looked used to it by now.

"Trouble," said Taye.

"Who's staying with the kids?" asked Cyborg.

"Let's find out who's causing the trouble first," said Nightwing. He turned the television screen into their computer monitor and accessed the information. "Looks like it's Plasmus… and Cinderblock. Damn, we need everyone on this one."

"But one of us must stay with the children," said Starfire.

"I'll stay with them," said Raven. "I'm not going anywhere anyway."

"Yeah, but do you think you're well enough to take care of five kids?" asked Beast Boy. "I mean, two of them are still babies; half _alien_ babies."

Raven frowned at him and said, "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm fine. Now go and take care of this mission. We'll be fine." The Titans looked at each other, unsurely. "Go, I said!" she ordered.

The five jumped at her order and quickly headed off to change into their suits and take care of the disturbance. Within two minutes they were changed and on their way. Raven just prayed they'd all make it back in one piece.

"Do you think Raven will be able to care for the children while we are away?" asked Starfire as they made their way to the part of the city that was under attack.

"We can only hope," said Cyborg.

"Well, she took care of Crystal for like two years without our knowing," said Beast Boy. "And you know how shy Crystal can get when she meets someone new. Raven must be really good with kids for her to be as attached as she is."

"That's true," said Bumblebee. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Alright, team," said Nightwing. "Time to focus. Cyborg and Beast Boy, you two go after Cinderblock. Girls, you're with me."

"Got it," they all said.

It took a full three hours for both teams to complete their missions. In the end Robin, Starfire, and Bumblebee were covered with glop from Plasmus and Beast Boy and Cyborg were pretty banged up from Cinderblock. But, the point was, they'd been successful and both criminal creatures were back in lockdown.

As they reentered the tower all five felt rather nervous. They weren't sure what condition Raven, the children, or the tower itself was going to be in. But, when they entered the common room they were all met with a surprising site that even had Nightwing's jaw wide open.

All the children were at the table eating… quietly. The twins were in their highchairs and Raven was feeding each of them their baby food. There was no crying, there was no whining. It was just… quiet. Quiet, but for the talking Raven was doing to the babies as she fed them.

"Mmm, that tastes good I see," she said with a smile as Eric hungrily ate the spoonful of yellow mush. He smacked his lips and let out happy grunts. She chuckled and began feeding Jack.

"Uh… are we in the right tower?" asked Cyborg.

"Hi dad!" said Taye from the table, after he'd swallowed.

"Oh, you're back," said Raven. "And you look… well, alive. You better get changed. I made dinner since it was getting late and you guys weren't back yet."

"And just what the heck did you make that all these kids are eatin without a complaint?" asked Bumblebee, crossing her arms.

"I'm having special mermaid food!" said Crystal.

"Yeah, me too!" Nicole chimed in.

"And I've got ultra pro athlete food," said Taye with smile.

The five adults looked to Raven, who rolled her eyes chuckled. She couldn't believe five parents didn't know the secret behind getting kids to eat. "Like I said, you guys should go freshen up," she said. "Who wants more?"

"Me, please!" said all three, raising their hands.

"Did they just say please without being told to?" asked Beast Boy.

"I'm getting scared," said Cyborg, nervously.

"Yeah, let's get outa here," Beast Boy agreed and the two men exited in a hurry, with the other three right behind them.

The five Titans cleaned themselves up and changed out of their uniforms. By the time they returned the kids were done eating, their dirty dishes were in the dishwasher, and they were all sitting on the couch watching television. Even the twins were cleaned up and sitting in their roll-around chairs. The table had been reset and dinner was being served by Raven.

"I hope you're all hungry," said Raven. "I think I might have made too much, but I did my best to calculate how much to make for all of you." They just stood there in shock for a moment. "Well, are you going to eat or not?"

"Raven, this is…" started Starfire.

"How the hell did you do all this with five kids?!" said Bumblebee, who's mind was spinning.

"They helped, of course," said Raven. "Now sit down and eat before it gets cold. I promised I'd go read to the kids so you guys could eat in peace." And just like that she left the kitchen and went into the living room section. She sat down and all the kids crowded around her as she began to read, Crystal, of course, sitting in her lap.

"Goddamn!" said Cyborg. "Those pills sure put life back into her!"

"No kidding," said Nightwing.

"She's like a Stepford wife or something," said Bumblebee, shaking her head.

"Well, let us not just stand here," said Starfire. "We must eat the meal she has made us."

They all took a seat at the table and finally got to see what it was their children had eaten without a single complaint. They saw a bowl of salad, a bowl of shell pasta, a plate of chicken, and a smaller plate of tofu chicken bits. They served themselves and began to eat; surprised that none of it was burned or inedible. As they eat they all kept an eye on Raven and spoke quietly so she couldn't hear.

"She's like a different person," said Nightwing.

"Since when has she been so good with kids?" asked Cyborg.

"Since when can she cook?" asked Beast Boy.

"She's like some sort of purple haired Mary Poppins," said Bumblebee.

"Yes, she has changed very much," said Starfire. "I am so very happy she is feeling better."

"Whatever those doctors prescribed her it's sure working," said Bumblebee.

They looked over again and saw Raven smiling and the children laughing. She was still as reserved as ever, but she seemed to glow now. It did look like her energy had been returned to her. No one would've guessed she was at that very moment slowly dying.

After they were done with dinner they sent the children to play, in the playroom they'd made specially for such an occasion, and the twins were put to bed so they could talk. They couldn't believe how well behaved and good the other three were. Usually when they were sent to the playroom Nicole would throw a fit, Taye would whine, and Crystal would complain that she didn't want to play alone if the other two didn't go. But they happily went off, practically skipping down the hall.

"Alright, spill," said Beast Boy.

"Spill what?" asked Raven.

"How'd you get them to be so… good?" asked Cyborg.

"I didn't," said Raven. "What, are they usually bad?"

"Well, not really bad," said Nightwing. "But not as well behaved as they've been with you."

"I guess I'm just really good with kids," she shrugged.

They'd all noticed that as soon as the children had left the room the light that had been around her had disappeared. She looked a little weaker now and she had to take a seat. Her temper was also shorter and she looked like she could snap at any of them at any moment.

"The children certainly like you very much," said Starfire.

"I like them, too," said Raven.

"I bet you wish you'd been here when they were born," said Beast Boy. "You coulda been with them all this time."

Raven frowned and crossed her arms. "I'm going to stand by my decision to leave until the very end," she said.

"Speaking of which," said Nightwing. "I hate to bring it up, but do you have any idea about… how much time you have?"

"Not really," said Raven. "I'm surprised I've lasted this long. I could live another six years or my body could shut down tomorrow."

"Oh, do not speak like that," said Starfire, tearing up.

"It's only the truth," said Raven plainly. "As horrible as it may be."

"Well, since tomorrow could be your last day," said Bumblebee. "We're all thinking that maybe you'd consider staying here. You know, not being forced to, but actually living here again."

Raven sighed and went into deep thought. They could all see that she was really thinking this over. Even if she said no, they could see that she was actually entertaining the idea for a little while, and they could work with that.

She finally sighed and looked down to the floor, slightly shaking her head. "Alright," she muttered in defeat. "I'll come back." They all let out a sigh of relief and sat back in their chairs.

"Thank God," said Cyborg.

"Tomorrow I'll take you to my apartment so we can move some of it here," said Raven. "But, right now, I need to take my night medications and then I'm going to bed. Beast Boy, where're my prescriptions?"

"I'll get them for you," he said, standing up.

"And I shall make up your bed in your old room so you do not have to sleep in the med bay," said Starfire, getting up as well.

"That's a relief," said Raven, slowly and shakily standing up.

"You need some help?" said Bumblebee, standing up and helping to support her before she could say yes or no.

"Thanks," she said, humbly.

Now they knew something must have changed with Raven if she was accepting help. Up until now she was denying that she was weak or in any pain at all. But now she allowed Bumblebee to help her stand and slowly make her way out of there. As much as they were relieved to see her finally accept their help, it worried them that perhaps she was growing weaker because her time was running out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 6

By the time Starfire had Ravens room made up she'd taken her medication and was ready to lie down. The two Titan women helped her get in and made sure she was all set. Within one hour she'd gone from running around and taking care of five little kids to barely being able to stand up on her own. Once she was in bed they were shocked to hear her ask to talk to Beast Boy.

"Are you sure she wanted me?" asked Beast Boy, standing outside her door.

"Yes, she said she wished to speak to you," said Starfire.

"And if ya get her all upset I'll split your lip," threatened Bumblebee.

"Hey, she's the one who's been all pissy," said Beast Boy in defense.

"Please, Beast Boy?" pleaded Starfire.

He sighed and said, "Fine, I'll make sure I don't get her upset."

"Thank you," said Starfire.

"Now get in there," said Bumblebee, opening the door up. He went in and she closed it behind him.

Beast Boy saw Raven sitting up in her bed, waiting for him. "Hey, Rae," he said, pleasantly.

"Hi," she said weakly.

"So, uh, you wanted to talk to me?" he said scratching the back of his head and walking over to her.

"Yes, I did," she said. "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" he asked.

"For how I've been snapping at you ever since you found me in the library," said Raven shamefully.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "I mean, I'm kinda used to you snapping at me. It's like stepping back in time, actually."

"Well, I want you to know I'm going to try to not do that anymore," said Raven. "The fact is, when I'm snapping and yelling at you, I'm not mad at you. I'm just getting out my frustration. You're just the easiest for me to take that frustration out on. Actually, you always have been."

"Oh," said Beast Boy, taking a seat on her bed. "Well, I'm glad it's not me _making_ you upset."

"No, it's not you," she chuckled sadly. "It's just… the truth is I'm not dealing with my situation very well. I mean, up until now I thought I'd come to terms with it and made peace with the fact that I'm going to die and probably very soon." Her eyes then became very sad and she looked down into her lap. "But, being here, it's made me realize all of the things I'm going to miss out on and the things I'm never going to get to have." He watched as she bit her quivering lip and did her best to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"Raven, it's okay to be upset," he said, softly. "I mean, we're all upset about it. But what's really bothering us is that you don't want us helping you. Why have you insisted on doing all of this on your own?"

"Because once I allow you all to help me I can no longer be in denial," said Raven. "I have to finally accept that I'm… I'm… dying." She began trembling all over and she placed her hand over her eyes, covering the threatening tears she was still too embarrassed to show. "D-Do you have any idea how scary this is, Beast Boy? To know that any day could be your last and then you'll be gone? To actually feel your body betray you and give up without a fight? There was so much I wanted to do. I… I don't want to die. I'm not ready. I'm not ready damn it!"

He watched helplessly as Raven began to cry and suddenly realized that the situation was real. She really was dying. At this very moment her body was slowly shutting down and soon she'd be gone forever. He reached out to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Rae, we're not gonna let you go without a fight," he said. "I promise. If you're not ready to die then we're not gonna let you. We just got you back; we're not ready to lose you again."

Raven pulled away from him and did her best to calm down. She took in a few deep breaths and cleared her throat. "I'm sure you still haven't gotten over Terra's death," she said as normally as she could. "It must have been so hard on you."

"Well, it wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as this," said Beast Boy.

"At least you still have Crystal," said Raven. "You're so lucky, Beast Boy. She's such a wonderful little girl. Nothing like you at all."

Beast Boy had to laugh. No matter what, she was still the same old Raven. "Yeah, she's one of the best things that's ever happened to me," said Beast Boy. "I'm thankful for her every day."

Raven gave him a smile, but that only led into more tears falling. "You have no idea how blessed you are," she said, wiping her tears away quickly, but they were replaced instantly with more. "I had actually planned on some day getting married and having children. Can you believe it? Me, 'Raven', wanting a family." She laughed bitterly at this. "But, that's never going to happen."

"Rae, is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, his heart going out to her. "Or any of us for that matter?"

She shook her head and said, "No. I just want to be with you guys. It'll be nice to see how happy you all are. And I'll get to be with the kids for a little while. All I hope is that I can just go in my sleep. No fuss, no messy attempt to bring me back. Just in my sleep; nice, easy, and painless. And, if I'm somewhat lucky and God decides that my soul isn't as evil as he thinks, maybe I'll even get to go to heaven and see my mother again. It'd sure be a lot better than having to stay with my father for the rest of eternity."

"Stop it," said Beast Boy. He was looking away from her and he was shaking all over. He hated hearing her talk this way. She was young; she should've been enjoying life like they all were. Was she really destined for such a tragic end? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. "I don't want you to talk about death anymore."

"Well, I don't know what else to talk about," she said, wiping her cheeks. "It's all I can think about now. Trust me, I hate it just as much as you."

He stood up, still unable to look at her, and said, "Get some rest, Rae. I'll see you in the morning." And with that he turned and walked out of her room.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it for the moment. His chest felt heavy and a lump grew in his throat. He bit his lip and ran to his room as quickly as he could. Once there he closed and locked his door then did something he hadn't done in a very long time. He cried. He sat on his bed and he wept many many tears. He hadn't even cried when Terra had died. But now he cried and cried for Raven.

He only stopped when he realized that he had to put Crystal to bed. Life had to go on, despite how cruel it could be. He took in a few deep breaths and went to the bathroom to wash his face. The last thing he needed was Crystal asking if he had been crying. He was her strong, ultra cool daddy. Not a big crybaby.

He went to the playroom and found that only she and Taye were up. Nicole must have already been in bed. She was currently lying on the floor with her dolls and Taye was playing with dinosaurs. He knocked on the doorframe to get their attention.

"Oh, hi daddy," said Crystal with a smile.

"Hey, it's time for bed," he said, walking in. "Put your dolls away."

"Aw, I don't wanna go to bed!" she whined.

"I know, but you've got school tomorrow," said Beast Boy.

"Aw, why couldn't I have PM kindergarten?" she said, standing up. "I hate getting up so early."

"Yeah, so do I," he said. "Let's go."

She sighed and gathered her dolls up. She very carefully laid them back in their little beds and then made her way out of the room with her father right behind her.

"How come Taye doesn't have to go to bed?" asked Crystal as she dragged her feet down the hallway.

"I'm sure Uncle Cy's gonna tell him to go to bed any minute now," said Beast Boy. Sure enough, as they rounded the corner Cyborg passed them on his way to the playroom. "See?"

The two went to her room and he helped her change into her pajamas. Her room was covered with toys and clothes she'd put on during the day. She was known for dressing up in everything she owned at least once a day. Her cleaning etiquette was obviously inherited from her father.

"Daddy?" she asked as she crawled into bed.

"Yes?" he said.

"Can Raven read me a bedtime story?" she asked as she got tucked in.

"Not tonight, babe," he said. "Raven's already in bed."

"She is?" said Crystal, quite surprised. "But I thought grownups went to bed really late!"

"Not all grownups," he laughed. "Now, give me a kiss." Crystal sat up and gave him a big kiss, then lay down so she could be tucked in again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, daddy," she said with a smile.

"I love you," he said, standing up.

"Love you, too," she giggled.

He turned the light off and then turned back to her. "And, Crystal?"

"Yes, daddy?" she asked.

"Go to sleep," he said. "I don't wanna see you up again until morning, got it?"

"Got it," she nodded.

He smiled and closed her door. He knew no matter what she was going to get up again for some reason, any reason really, but if he didn't tell her to stay in bed she'd use it against him.

He went to the common room and found the rest of the adults, save Cyborg who was putting Taye to bed, on the couch relaxing after a long day. He gladly went over and took a seat as well. He felt absolutely drained.

"So?" said Bumblebee.

"…so?" repeated Beast Boy, confused.

"So how did your talk with Raven go?" asked Starfire.

"Oh, that," said Beast Boy. "Uh, basically she just apologized for yelling at me and that she's happy she's back."

"So, you don't think she's going to try to runaway again?" asked Nightwing.

"No," said Beast Boy. "She's really scared. She confessed that she's not ready to die and I don't think any of us are ready for her to die either. I just don't know what we can do for her."

"Make her comfortable," said Bumblebee. "What more can we do?"

"There's got to be something that can keep her body alive," said Nightwing. "I mean, people are living into their nineties and hundreds easily these days. There must be something that can keep a mid-twenty year old body alive."

"She's been seeing doctors for years," said Beast Boy. "I'm sure they've done all they can."

"Well that's not good enough for me," said Nightwing. "How about you?"

"It is not good enough for me either," Starfire sniffled.

"Or me," said Bumblebee, crossing her arms. "And I'm speaking for my husband, too."

"I made a promise to her that we wouldn't let her go without a fight," said Beast Boy. "And I'll be damned if her body's gonna make a liar out of me."

"Alright, then we're all in agreement," said Nightwing.

A little while later they all headed of to bed. Beast Boy felt better now that everyone was behind him and that they weren't going to let Raven just slip away, like she thought. But ever since she'd said that she wanted to go in her sleep, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. On his way to bed he decided to check in on her, like he'd done the night before.

He found her fast asleep and still alive. He knew he'd have to check on her every night now to make sure she was still breathing. He wasn't sure what he'd do if some night he went in and found that she'd passed away. But he'd rather that he found her than someone else. He wasn't sure what he'd do if someone else had to break the news to him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 7

With two of the five kids in school for the day, or half day in Crystal's case, the tower was a little quieter; that and the fact that everyone but Raven and Starfire were out taking care of a robbery downtown. Raven was up and in the common room helping Starfire with the twins. It was amazing how she could go from one extreme to the other so quickly. She was currently washing Jack off in the sink after a rather messy breakfast.

"Raven, I can not believe how well behaved Jack is being," said Starfire. "He does not usually like being bathed and does the crying."

"Well he seems fine right now," said Raven as she softly washed him with a washcloth.

"How is it that you got so good with children?" asked Starfire.

"I don't know," Raven shrugged. "I just seem to know what they want."

"And you seem much more, um, energized when you are taking care of them," Starfire pointed out.

"I know," said Raven. "Isn't that strange? Whenever I'm taking care of kids I forget about my condition completely."

She lifted Jack out of the sink and into Starfire's arms, who was ready with a towel. He immediately began to fuss and cry. "Oh, please, do not cry," said Starfire quickly as she dried the little boy off.

"Want me to take him?" Raven offered.

"If you wish," said Starfire, handing the fussing babe back to Raven. He quickly calmed down and Raven finished drying him off. She took him over to the couch and redressed him without a single complaint.

"Mommy!" Nicole called as she ran into the room. "Silkie ate my dolly again!"

"Oh no," said Starfire. "Raven do you mind watching Eric as well?"

"No problem," said Raven.

Starfire brought Eric over to the couch, placed him down, then she and Nicole went running off to save the dolly. Raven placed both boys in their roll-around chairs, took a seat on the floor, and entertained them with their little teething toys. She couldn't explain it, but she always felt such joy when she was around children. Even though her powers had left her, she could still swear that she could feel their happiness.

As she played with them the others returned from their morning robbery and didn't look nearly as beat up as they did last night. They each gave her a smile as they entered, happy to see her up and about. And, more importantly, still alive.

"It was a successful mission, I take it," she said.

"Yup, just Mumbo Jumbo," said Cyborg.

"Is he still around?" she asked.

"Still around and still annoying," said Bumblebee.

"Where's Starfire?" asked Nightwing.

"She's on a rescue mission," said Raven.

"What?!" said Nightwing.

"Silkie's attempting to eat one of Nicole's dolls," said Raven with a slight chuckle behind her voice.

"Oh," said Nightwing, quite relieved.

"How're you feeling?" asked Beast Boy.

"Fine," she said with a small smile.

He could tell this time that she really meant it and wasn't just saying it to get them off her back. "Hey, you want a cup of tea?" he offered. "I'll make you some."

"Oh, uh, that'd be nice," said Raven, surprised at his offer.

"Sure, coming right up," he said with a smile and went into the kitchen.

"Want me to take one of 'em off your hands?" said Bumblebee taking a seat on the couch.

"No, they're fine," said Raven, continuing the play with the twins. The boys laughed and giggled as she spoke to them softly. They were grabbing for her face, mainly her nose. "That's my nose. Nose. And this is your nose." She took each of their hands and held them to their nose and then to hers. "Nose."

"Nuh nuh," said Eric.

"Nus," said Jack.

"That's right, nose," said Raven.

"Are they repeating after you?" asked Nightwing, shocked.

"I'm pretty sure they are," said Raven, smiling at the boys. "Yes?" she said to them, nodding.

"Yesh," both boys said with smiles and they copied her nodding.

"Alright, who are you and what've you done with Raven?" asked Cyborg. "I thought you couldn't stand kids?"

"Sure, when I was sixteen," said Raven. "But, after working in the library for a few years and mainly working in the children's section I've learned to tolerate them."

"Tolerate nothing!" said Bumblebee. "You're like a baby guru! Those kids haven't done anything but cry and babble and suddenly you appear and practically have them talking!"

"I'm sure that's not true," said Raven.

"No, she's right," said Nightwing. "I can't believe how they're responding to you."

"I'm just playing with them," said Raven, shrugging. "I'm not doing anything special."

"Come on, Rae, you gotta admit you've got a knack for handling kids," said Beast Boy from the kitchen. "I mean, I didn't even know Crystal could read. Well, I kinda did, but not as well as she does. I can't figure out how you pulled that one off since I can't get her to sit down for even a second."

"I just sat down and read to her," said Raven. "After a while she asked if I could teach her to read, too. She picked it up really quickly. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be picking her up from school soon?"

"Oh shoot!" said Beast Boy, realizing the time. He quickly finished making Raven her tea and brought it to her. "I'll be back."

Raven took a seat on the couch and gladly sipped the tea. "Wow, he made it perfectly," she said, quite surprised. "I didn't think Beast Boy even knew how to boil water, let alone make tea to my liking."

"Yeah, he's constantly surprising us," Cyborg chuckled.

"He's certainly changed over the years," said Raven, looking into her tea. "The last time I saw him he was a nineteen year old boy who couldn't pry himself off of Terra for even a second. Now he's… he's…"

"Grown up?" said Nightwing.

"Yeah," said Raven.

"Well, trust me, he was still the same old immature BB a while after you left," said Bumblebee. "He only grew up when Crystal was born. And, let's say Terra preferred the old Beast Boy."

"Why?" asked Raven.

"Because he wasn't 'fun' anymore," said Cyborg. "I mean, they had Crystal when they were both only twenty. Terra still wanted them to go out and have fun like they used to. But B said it was more important that they take care of Crystal."

"I hate to say it, but Crystal really is the reason they broke up," said Nightwing. "Though we'd never say that in front of her."

"Eh, I don't think Crystal had anything to do with it," said Bumblebee. "Those two were having problems before she came along. Terra actually told me she was gonna break up with him like two days before she found out she was pregnant."

"So how'd he take it when she died?" asked Raven. "I mean, when I spoke with him last night I said that it must have been hard for him and he said that it was hard but _my_ dying was going to be even worse."

"Well that's because he probably still hasn't forgiven her for what she did," said Nightwing.

"What did she do?" asked Raven. The three looked at her oddly. "Uh… did I miss something?"

"That's right, you don't know what really happened," said Cyborg in realization. "We made sure the public didn't hear."

"What happened?" asked Raven, quite curious now.

Just then Starfire entered, looking quite worn out. "Well, it was a most horrible battle, but I saved Nicole's plastic replica of a baby," she said, wiping her brow. "What is going on?"

"We're about to tell Raven about… Terra," said Nightwing.

"Oh," said Starfire, growing uncomfortable. "I think I will put the twins down for their nap." She quickly scooped up both boys and headed for their rooms.

"Alright, so what happened?" asked Raven again.

"A couple things," said Nightwing. "First she began talking about trying to take over the team. She didn't like the way I was running things, evidently. She wanted to be in control so badly she actually wanted to lead a mutiny against me, but no one got behind her. I offered her a leading position on one of our other teams, but she wanted this one. She wanted to be in charge of the Titans; all of the Titans."

"What the hell provoked this?" asked Raven.

"We don't know," shrugged Cyborg. "It was like one day she woke up and decided that how Nightwing was running the show wasn't good enough and she wanted to be in charge. And, no matter what we said, she refused to back down."

"She brought it up every single day for about three years," said Bumblebee. "It was so annoying! Finally, NW said she could be leader for one day."

"And how'd that turn out?" asked Raven.

The room grew quiet for a moment.

"The day she got to be leader was the day she died," said Nightwing frankly, shaking his head sadly. "We were fighting the HIVE five when it happened. She did her best, but her best wasn't good enough. And when things started getting intense she ordered us to retreat. And, of course, we weren't going to retreat."

"Then she said, 'Screw you guys!' and proceeded to go," said Cyborg. "And it was as she was running away that Mammoth cornered her. She pleaded for her life and even said she'd join their team if he let her go. Not only that, she started spilling out all of our secrets and weaknesses, doing her best to buy time. She gave him the code to get into the tower, how to override the security system, all of our room codes, and anything else she could think of."

"She sold us out again," said Nightwing.

"And in the end it didn't matter," said Bumblebee. "She took so much time trying to distract Mammoth that she didn't see Wykked come up behind her and… well, you know the rest."

"So you changed the story so she wouldn't look like a coward and a traitor?" asked Raven.

"Basically," said Nightwing. "After all that happened when we were teens, you know that the city wasn't sure allowing her back on the team was a good idea."

"I remember," said Raven. "We had to fight the city for months to get her back in the Titans."

"Exactly," said Nightwing. "So, when everything happened, we didn't want the public to think they were right and we were making poor decisions when it came to their safety. They'd question every person we made a member. So, to cover up what really happened, we said that Terra had died in the line of duty, which she did, but nothing else."

"And… how did Beast Boy take it?" asked Raven.

"Oh, he was crushed," said Bumblebee. "For a while he was in denial about it all and refused to believe that she'd really sold us out again. And when he finally did accept what had happened he took it as a failure on his part to, once again, save her."

Raven sighed and said, "He never could see her for what she was. He always saw her through rose colored glasses, though I haven't the foggiest idea why."

"She was pretty and laughed at his jokes," said Cyborg. "What more of a reason would a guy like Beast Boy need?"

"True," said Raven. She finished her tea and her shaking hands placed the cup in her lap as she relaxed into the couch.

"Raven, are you okay?" asked Bumblebee.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm just feeling a little tired… and weak."

"I'll take your cup for you," said Bumblebee with a smile and took Ravens empty cup.

"Thanks," said Raven giving a soft smile back.

Cyborg and Nightwing looked to each other. They knew that they had to help her. They had to start researching Ravens condition and talk to her doctors. They couldn't just let her die. She was a contributing member of society and a good person. There was no reason for them not to give everything to save her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 8

Raven sat in her room reading in a comfy chair they'd placed in front of her large window. She found that randomly during the day she'd feel tired and it was nice to just read by the window. She'd been home for about a week and she was still alive. She had her ups and downs and everyone was there for her. They'd even appointed her the designated babysitter for when a mission occurred. This made her feel like she was part of the team again and she got to have time with the children, which she really enjoyed.

She heard someone knock on her door and said, "Come in."

The door slid open and Crystal ran in with Beast Boy behind her. "Hi Raven!" she said running over to Ravens chair.

"Hello," said Raven with a kind smile. "How was school?"

"Okay," Crystal shrugged. She was still in her school uniform, since the Titans had decided on sending all the children to a private school.

"Hey Rae," said Beast Boy, who hadn't run over.

"Hi," she said. "What's going on?"

"Um, do you wanna go to the park with us?" asked Crystal. "We're gonna go play on the playground."

"You don't have to," said Beast Boy. "I mean, if you're not feeling up to it it's okay."

"Please?" Crystal pleaded, not really listening to her father.

Raven smiled and said, "Well, I do feel like I'm getting my second wind. And it would be nice to get some fresh air."

"Yes!" said Crystal. "I'm gonna go get my play clothes on!" And with that she ran right out of there.

"Don't run!" Beast Boy called after her then turned back to Raven. "Rae, are you sure? I mean, don't think that you have to go just cuz Crystal wants you to. Besides, what if you get tired out there and feel like you're going to faint? Maybe you should stay here."

"Beast Boy, you were once the only person on the team to constantly try to get me out of my room and do things I wasn't comfortable doing," she said standing up. "Right now, I need that Beast Boy, not the overprotective father Beast Boy. Just support me and stop treating me like I'm on my deathbed. I might be, but for Christ's sake, of all things for you to be in denial about, please be in denial about this."

He was quite taken back by her words. "Rae I… I just don't want you to do too much," he said. "I want you around as long as possible."

"Well I'd rather go while actually doing something then to just waste away in bed," she said, crossing her arms. "Now go help your daughter get changed so we can get out of here while I still feel up to it."

He sighed and did as she said. He knew he wasn't really acting like the old Beast Boy she remembered, but he was surprised that she wanted that Beast Boy instead of the current one. Had he really changed that much? True, having Crystal helped him to grow up, but he thought he was still carefree and fun.

The drive to the park was pretty quiet, other than Crystal's constant talking. Raven couldn't believe how much like Beast Boy this little girl was. Her imagination was always at work and her attention span only lasted about eight seconds.

They made it to the park and Crystal immediately ran for the playground with Beast Boy calling and running after her. Raven found this quite amusing and took a seat on a bench. She could just picture his parents once saying, 'I hope you have a kid just like you someday!' It took a few minutes for him to give her the rules and then come and take a seat next to Raven.

"Wow, you're actually letting her play without you holding her hand?" said Raven.

"Hey, I'm not that protective," said Beast Boy.

"Oh yes you are," she said with a slight laugh. "And here I thought out of the five of us Starfire would be the one who was too overbearing and cautious with her children."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh at me all you want," said Beast Boy. "You'll see what it's like when you…" He stopped and realized what he was saying. Ravens smile faded away and she looked away sadly. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she said softly. "It's nice that… for a moment you forgot."

"Yeah… I guess," said Beast Boy.

It grew quiet between the two of them. They watched Crystal play and make friends with other children that were there. She easily made friends and even though at first the other children were hesitant of playing with her, since she had green skin after all, they quickly forgot when they saw how much fun she was.

"Hey, does Crystal have any powers?" asked Raven curiously.

"Dunno," Beast Boy shrugged. "I think she's still too young to figure them out if she has them. But I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, my powers came from my animal DNA and she's obviously made up of half of my DNA. So she should be able to change into animals. I just hope she doesn't figure that out soon. I can barely handle her as she is."

"Yeah, but just think," said Raven with a smile as she watched the little girl play. "You two could change into squirrels and play in the trees together. Or you could both be fish and take a swim in the ocean. You could have a lot of fun."

Beast Boy smiled and said, "I never thought of that."

"Daddy! Look at me!" Crystal called to him as she hung upside down from the monkey bars."

"Ah! Be careful!" he yelled at her, jumping off of the bench. "Are you okay? Can you get down by yourself?"

"Oh, dear Azar," Raven, shaking her head. "Sit down! She's fine." She grabbed him and pulled him back down onto the bench. Sure enough, a minute later Crystal got down all by her self and ran off to the swings. "See? I told you."

Beast Boy relaxed a little and turned to Raven. She was smiling softly and watching the children play. He couldn't help but notice how good she looked. Not weak or tired at all. Right now she looked… beautiful. She was glowing and he could feel how at peace she felt.

"Daddy! Come give me a push!" Crystal called from the swings.

"Alright," he called back and stood up. "Hey, why don't you come?"

"Why?" asked Raven. "You want me to help push her?"

"No, you look like you could use a swing," he said with a smile and grabbed her hands, pulling her up.

"Beast Boy, I don't think I've ever been on a swing in my life," she said as he dragged her over to them, where Crystal was impatiently waiting.

"Well now's the perfect time!" he laughed. "Think about it, what if you grow weak and die tomorrow? You'll have never done something as simple as swing on a swing. Now come on!"

Raven couldn't believe how casually he'd mention her dying. It was… relieving. For just that moment he sounded like the old Beast Boy again. She sighed and let him take her the rest of the way without a complaint.

Upon reaching the swings, he began to push Crystal to her liking and Raven took a seat on one of the swings. She just sat there for a while, watching Beast Boy push his daughter higher and higher until she squealed with joy. It made her feel good inside to see Crystal so happy. She'd lost her mother only three months before. As she grew older she'd wonder why her mother died and begin to ask questions. Raven knew that Beast Boy's life wasn't going to get easier as Crystal grew up and she only hoped the best for him.

She was so caught up in thinking about all this she failed to see Beast Boy go behind her and give her a gentle push. She nearly fell off she was so startled and grabbed onto the chains of the swings tightly.

"Come on, you're not scared of swinging, are you?" he laughed and continued to gently push her.

"No," she said. "You just startled me, that's all."

"That's no excuse for not pumping your legs," he said. "Start putting them in and out."

"Like this?" she asked, doing her best to swing her legs back and forth.

"No, you're out of sync," he said. "Look at how Crystal does it."

Raven looked over at Crystal and watched her. As she swung backwards she tucked her legs in and as she swung forward she put them straight out. She could feel the difference immediately.

"There you go!" said Beast Boy.

Raven felt rather proud, although a bit embarrassed, and continued to swing on her own without any help from Beast Boy. He saw that both the swingers were fine and walked around to watch them from the front. Crystal was going really high and Raven was slowly but surely catching up to her.

"Daddy, catch me!" said Crystal and before her father could tell her to stop she leapt from the swing and flew through the air. Beast Boy quickly got under her and caught her before she could touch the ground. He put her down and swore his nerves were going to be shot by the time this girl turned ten. "Alright, now you!"

"Who, me?" said Raven.

"Yeah," said Crystal, nodding. "Jump!"

"No, Raven!" said Beast Boy. "Just stick to swinging."

"Why?" asked Raven. "You don't think I can do it?"

"This is your first time swinging," said Beast Boy. "Just concentrate on pumping your legs correctly. You're not ready to jump yet, and, besides, you shouldn't!"

"Do it, Raven!" cheered Crystal, ignoring her father.

"Don't even think about it," said Beast Boy in a fatherly tone. "You could get hurt."

Raven frowned and continued to swing, pumping her legs harder and harder. She went higher and higher and then began moving about in the swing. She moved her arms in front of the chains, just as she'd watched Crystal do, and as she reached the highest point of the swinging motion propelled her self forward and out of the seat.

Beast Boy watched as Raven left the swing completely and fell through the air. He quickly moved to where she was and as she came down caught her. She crashed into him and he nearly lost his balance. But he held her tight and planted his feet so he wouldn't. He was glad she'd wrapped her arms around him as well for the extra hold so she wouldn't fall.

Crystal cheered and jumped up and down. For a moment the two held each other tightly. Finally their hold loosened and they pulled away from each other slightly. He could feel her body trembling with adrenaline and she was out of breath. His eyes met hers and for some odd reason they would not move away from her. An awkward moment passed until he put her down and took a step back.

"Uh, good job," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and smiling.

"Thanks," she said, looking away bashfully. "You did a good job catching me."

"Well I wasn't about to just let you fall to the ground," said Beast Boy.

"Yeah, that probably wasn't one of my better ideas," said Raven. "But, hey, I survived. And it's something else I can check off of my list of things I've never gotten to do before. Swing on a swing and jump off of a swing in motion."

Beast Boy smiled and said, "Well you did a good job." He looked to where Crystal was and found that she was gone. He quickly looked around in a panic. "Crystal?" he called out.

"She's over at the slide," said Raven, rolling her eyes.

He looked and, sure enough, she was climbing up the ladder to the slide. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "You wanna come watch her slide or do you wanna go sit down?"

"I'll come," said Raven. "I don't know why, but I still feel pretty good. I'll probably crash and burn tonight, but at the moment I don't really care." And with that she went off towards the slide.

Beast Boy watched her walk towards the slide and smiled. It made him feel good that she was feeling well. If she felt well that meant her body wasn't dying at that very moment. It meant she really wasn't as bad as he thought she was. And even if she was, she wasn't in pain. For that alone he was thankful.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 9

Nightwing and Cyborg sat in Dr. Hill's office waiting for said doctor. He was Ravens head doctor and was in charge of making all decision that came to what treatment she was to take. The two men were there to ask questions since the research they'd done at home wasn't going anywhere.

The door opened and in walked the doctor. "Hello, I'm Dr. Hill," he said, shaking both their hands. He was a very distinguished doctor and very professional. Nightwing liked him right away.

"Hello, sir," said Nightwing. "Thanks for meeting with us."

"Well, I always make time to work a little on Ravens case every day," he said with a smile, taking a seat in the chair behind his desk. "After all the times she's helped to save the city and the world I think I owe it to her. So, what can I do for you?"

"We'd like to know why Ravens taking those three medications," said Cyborg. "I've tried looking up the names of the meds, but two of them have no result and one of them is just a pain reliever."

"And they have inconsistent results," Nightwing added. "Sometimes she takes them and she feels great for a few hours, then she crashes. Then the next day she takes them and she's in bed all day, unable to even sit up. And sometimes the effects last all day and into the night until she's ready for bed."

"Either she's got to up the amount she's taking or she needs another medication to balance it all out," said Cyborg.

Dr. Hill listened to all of this and went into deep thought. His brow was furrowed and he shook his leg as if he was anxious as he thought. "Well, it sounds to me she's doing better than ever," said Dr. Hill, stunned.

"Better than ever?" said Nightwing.

"Though her unstable health intrigues me," said Dr. Hill. "After her horrible reaction to the medication I prescribed her I've had her on these three and as far as I knew she said she felt the same everyday. But she hasn't been contacting me every two days, like she used to, to tell me her progress. How long has she been at the tower?"

"About a week and a half," said Cyborg. "And, when you say 'horrible reaction' are you talking about when she carved up her arms?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Dr. Hill sighed. "That medication was our last hope, unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" asked Nightwing.

"Well, the truth is, that out of her three medications one _is_ an aspirin and the other two are placebos," said Dr. Hill.

"You mean you're given Raven an aspirin and sugar pills to keep her alive?!" said Cyborg, shocked.

"No," said Dr. Hill. "They have no affect on her, other than the aspirin that dulls the aches she feels."

"So, you've given up on trying to save her?" said Nightwing.

"No," said Dr. Hill. "Like I said, I work on her case every day. But at this point we've run out of treatments to help her. No matter what we did, her condition continued to slowly get worse. She pressured us to keep trying, to give her anything available to keep her going. Because there's nothing left, I gave her the placebos to quiet her until I could think of something else."

"You couldn't tell her that you'd run out of options?" asked Nightwing.

"No," said Dr. Hill sadly. "She told us that even if such an event came up she didn't want to know. So, I gave her the placebos and didn't tell her."

"So nothing's ever helped her?" asked Nightwing. "She's still dying?"

"Slowly but surely," Dr. Hill sighed. "I mean, she's lasted far longer than I could've predicted. When she first came to me everything in her system was beginning to shut down and I gave her about four months to live. She's lived six years passed that date!" He sat back in thought and said, "Something's keeping her alive… but it's nothing I've prescribed."

"Now, you said that for a while she'd been feeling the same every day," said Cyborg. "And she'd been reporting to you how she'd been doing. Can you tell us how she felt throughout the day?"

"Sure," said Dr. Hill opening one of the many files on his desk that belonged to Ravens case. He looked through it and found what he was looking for. "The usually routine was she'd wake up feeling weak and achy, took three pills, within one hour the aches would be gone. She'd arrive at work and feel perfectly fine throughout the day. When she left the library, where she was working at the time, she'd feel tired again. The rest of the evening she'd feel weak and would go to bed."

"And that's how she'd normally feel?" asked Cyborg.

"Most of the time," said Dr. Hill. "Even with all of the medications she was taking that was usually how she'd feel throughout the day."

"A week and a half ago she fainted," said Nightwing. "Any reason for that?"

"She has had fainting spells in the past," said Dr. Hill. "It's never a good sign. Usually that means her heart's grown a little weaker. Make sure to always tell me when she faints so I can put it in her file." He immediately began to write this information into her file.

"So, is there anything else you can tell us?" asked Nightwing.

"I wish I could," said Dr. Hill, rising from his chair. "I'm sorry, but I've got to go. I have another patient to see."

"Well, thanks for your time," said Cyborg, shaking his hand.

"If you have anymore information please contact us," said Nightwing, shaking his hand next.

"Same with you," said Dr. Hill. "And good luck. By the way, how's Raven doing? I mean, is she happy to be back with your team?"

"At first she wasn't very happy, but she's gotten very comfortable," said Cyborg. "She's usually very pleasant to be around, which is actually an improvement to when she used to live with us a few years back."

"Well, that's good," said Dr. Hill. "She went through a very low period and grew very depressed. It was the depression medication I prescribed to her that caused that terrible… reaction."

"So depression pills made her want to kill her self?" said Nightwing. "I'm sorry, but aren't they supposed to cause the opposite affect?"

"Yes, but some people react as Raven did," said Dr. Hill. "Just keep an eye on her and inform me if she grows depressed again."

"Thank you, sir," said Nightwing. "We'll keep in touch."

The two left the doctor's office and headed back home to the tower. They'd hoped to find out some answers, but they only left with more questions. Something was keeping Raven alive? Something that had nothing to do with medication? What could that possibly be? Now they knew they'd have to watch her carefully and figure out what it was that made her feel so well at times.

They arrived home and found Raven sitting on the couch with Beast Boy. On the floor lay Crystal, Nicole, and Taye watching a movie. They looked Raven over, from afar of course, and saw that she was at a high point. She looked well and happy.

"Where'd you two go?" asked Beast Boy.

"Oh, you know, nowhere," said Cyborg coolly.

"Then what took you so long?" asked Taye.

"Traffic," said Nightwing simply.

"If you're wondering where your wives are, they went shopping with the twins," said Raven. "I told them to leave the boys with me, but they insisted on taking them."

"That's cuz you took care of them all morning!" said Beast Boy. "You're gonna run yourself ragged!"

"Oh please, as long as I feel up to it there's no need to worry," said Raven, brushing him off. "And I happen to enjoy taking care of the twins."

"Of course you do, they never cry when you have them," said Beast Boy. "I'd take care of babies all day if they laughed and kept quiet twenty-four seven."

"Speaking of which, Cyborg, do you and Bumblebee think you'll have anymore?" asked Raven.

"It was hard enough having Taye," said Cyborg. "We're happy with what we've got."

"Yup, cuz I'm perfect," said Taye proudly.

"That's right," said Cyborg with a smile.

"What about you, Nightwing?" asked Raven. "Are you and Starfire done?"

"I hope so," said Nightwing. "I wanted two, she wanted four. I think three is a pretty good compromise."

"I bet she wasn't planning on having two at once, though," said Raven. "That must have been interesting."

"Trust me, you _don't_ want to be around a pregnant Starfire," said Beast Boy. "It was bad enough when she was having Nicole. When she was pregnant with the twins she was so bad we had to move out of the tower the last three months until they were born."

"Wow," said Raven. "I'm kind of glad I wasn't here for that."

"Trust me, it wasn't pretty," Beast Boy shuddered.

"Yeah, like Terra was any better?" said Nightwing getting a little tired of hearing them say all of this about his wife. "She complained more than any other living creature on this planet when she was pregnant."

"Hey, nobody knows that better than me," said Beast Boy. "_I_ was the one who had to be with her day and night every single day. At least you guys could go to your rooms or something and escape her."

"Are you talking about mommy?" asked Crystal, who'd been paying more attention to the movie than to the adults' conversation.

"Oh, uh, yeah," sputtered Beast Boy. It was clear he wasn't comfortable talking about Terra in front of Crystal. Raven saw this and decided to help him.

"We were just saying how much she loved you," said Raven with a soft smile. Crystal smiled back and went back to watching the movie. Raven looked back to Beast Boy and saw him look a bit relieved.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"No problem," said Raven. "So, do you think you're done having children?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I don't exactly have a girlfriend or anything at the moment, but I guess if I met the right girl and she wanted to have kids I wouldn't be against it. Why are you asking all the baby questions?"

"No reason," said Raven. "I've just been curious, that's all." And with that she stood up and stretched a little bit. "Well, if anyone needs me I'll be in my room."

"Doing what?" asked Cyborg.

"Reading," said Raven. "Why?"

"Oh, uh, just curious," said Cyborg with a smile.

Raven raised an eyebrow at him, but shook it off and left. Once she was gone Cyborg and Nightwing took a seat next to Beast Boy. They told him where they'd really gone and all of the information they'd found out and all of the new questions that had been raised. Beast Boy listened closely and took in all they told him. He agreed with them that they had to watch her closely.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 10

Saturday came and the children decided they wanted to go to the carnival on the pier for the day. And after a lot of pleading, crying, and promises to be on their best behavior, the adults said yes. Raven decided to stay back, afraid that something like a carnival would be a bit too much for her. Not to mention the fact that she still wasn't one for crowds.

"Raven, are you certain you do not want to come?" asked Starfire.

"Yes," said Raven. "I never liked the carnival all that much."

"Yeah, but you like caramel apples," Cyborg teased, knowing one of Ravens most hidden secrets. "Come on, come with us and I'll buy you one."

"As tempting as that is," said Raven, rolling her eyes. "I'd really rather just stay here. I've got a new book to break in."

"But do you think you should be here alone?" asked Beast Boy, doing his best to hide how nervous he was. "I mean, what if something happens?"

"Like what?" asked Raven. "Beast Boy, I'll be fine. Trust me."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Just go!" she said, shoving him out of the common room, along with everyone else.

"Alright, we'll be checking in," said Nightwing. "Keep your communicator near."

"I will," said Raven. "Have a good time."

Once they were all finally gone Raven made her way to her room to sit in her chair and read. But no more than an hour after they'd left she was in bed, so weak she couldn't even roll over from the position she was lying in.

"Figures," she said to herself. "I finally have a little peace and quiet and my body decides to start shutting down again. Damn unreliable pills."

Two hours passed and just when she was finally about to fall asleep she heard her communicator go off. As it rang she opened her eyes and tried to remember where she'd put the damn thing. It was on her dresser. She tried to move, to at least reach for it, but there was no point. She could barely even lift her head. It continued to ring annoyingly until whoever was trying to contact her got the point and it finally ended.

'Dear Azar, they probably think I'm dead,' she thought. 'I hope they don't all come back here just because I didn't answer.' Not too long after this thought she finally fell asleep. It was a relief on her tired body.

Beast Boy paced back and forth on the pier as he waited for Raven to answer her communicator. By the third ring he was wondering what was taking her, the fourth he grew nervous, the fifth he grew worried, the sixth he began to panic, and by the seventh he was quite sure she had died.

"She's not answering," he said nervously.

"Maybe she misplaced her communicator," suggested Bumblebee.

"I told her to keep it close," said Nightwing.

"Perhaps she is taking a nap," said Starfire.

"The communicator should've woken her up," said Cyborg.

"Well I'm gonna go back and check on her," said Beast Boy. "Can you guys keep an eye on Crystal?"

"Sure," said Bumblebee.

"Beast Boy, I'm sure she's fine," said Nightwing.

"But what if she's not?" said Beast Boy. "I'm not gonna feel right until I see that she's alright. I'll be back." And with that he took off into the air in the form of a hawk and made his way back to the tower.

He soon landed on the tower's roof and ran inside. As he raced down the halls his mind raced with only the worst. 'She's dead,' he thought as he ran. 'She died all alone here in the tower while we were having fun. She probably dropped dead in the kitchen. I knew we shouldn't have left her alone. God, what am I gonna do? I don't wanna find her dead! Please, God, please don't let me find her dead! Please be alive, Raven! Don't die on me now!'

He ran to the common room and found it empty. If she wasn't there then she must have been in her room. He quickly raced back through the halls to her room. He threw the door open and looked around. He could see her lying in her bed. His stomach dropped and his heart raced.

'Did she die in her sleep?' he thought. 'Just like she wanted? If she was just sleeping she would've woken up when I threw the door open. Oh God. She must have taken a nap and… and… passed away.'

He felt his throat begin to tare and he bit his lip as tears began to enter his eyes. He didn't want to go in any further. He didn't want to have his suspicions confirmed. But he had to. He had to know. Slowly he inched himself a bit closer.

"R-Rae?" he said shakily. To his horror she didn't move. "Raven?" he said, his voice barely even coming out now.

He could feel himself about to cry and he couldn't stop it. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, continuing to walk forward until he finally reached her bed. He moved around it and went to her side. She looked so peaceful; curled up on her side with her hands clasped under her chin cutely.

"Raven?" he said, full on crying.

Suddenly she groaned and began to stir, causing Beast Boy to actually jump. He looked down, shocked, as she opened her eyes weakly and looked around. Their eyes met and Beast Boy fell to his knees. She was alive!

"Beast Boy?" said Raven, a bit dazed from being asleep and shocked at his sudden drop to the floor.

"Oh thank God!" he cried and wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and as tightly as he could. "I-I thought you were dead! I thought you'd died in your sleep. I was so sure you were gone. I've never been more scared in my entire life!"

Raven could barely breathe he was holding her so tightly. She'd never seen him like this before. Weeping and nearly hysterical; he must have really thought she was dead. She must have been in a deep sleep.

"Beast Boy, I was just sleeping," she said, trying to calm him. "I don't feel well so I was taking a nap."

He slowly loosened his grip and pulled back. She was still weak and he had to hold her up or else she'd have fallen onto the bed. He took in a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself, but he found it to be very difficult. He looked deep into her eyes and found them to still be very alive, though also very tired.

Raven couldn't believe how upset he was. She could see the line of tears that had coursed down his cheeks and the tears that were still welling in his eyes. He was shaking all over and though he wasn't holding her as tightly as before he still had a damn good grip on her. He looked pretty shaken up about this and that really rattled her. That this was going to be his reaction when she finally did go. She'd never really thought about how her death was going to affect anyone else.

As weak as she was, she used all of her remaining strength to pull him back to her so he could embrace her again. "It's okay, Beast Boy," she said softly. "I'm not dead yet. I'm still very much alive."

He couldn't help but break down again and he held her tightly once more. He'd been so scared that she was gone. He wasn't ready for her to die. And he was certain that he never would be.

It took a while, but finally he did calm down and regain his composition. He left Raven to go back to sleeping and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He was still sniffling even as he splashed his face with cold water and washed away all of the salt from his tears. He took a look in the mirror and saw how horrible he looked. His eyes were bright red from crying and stood out brilliantly against his green skin. He knew he couldn't go back to the others looking like this. Not that he planned on leaving anyway. He wasn't about to leave Raven.

"Beast Boy, I told you I'm alright," said Raven as she still lay in her bed. "There's no reason for you to stay here."

"Are you kidding me?" he said, turning her chair by the window towards the bed and taking a seat. "After a scare like that I'm not going anywhere."

"I still can't believe you thought I was dead," said Raven. "Couldn't you see that I was breathing? Or how about your animal instincts, for that matter? If I were really dead you would've sensed it."

"I wasn't thinking straight, I'll admit that," said Beast Boy. "My mind was playing tricks on me I was so scared you were dead."

Raven sighed and said, "You know, this is exactly why I didn't want any of you knowing my condition. I knew it would make you all far too overprotective of me."

"Excuse me, _I'm_ the one being overprotective," said Beast Boy. "Everyone else isn't nearly as concerned as I am."

"And you're proud of that?" said Raven.

"No, I'm not proud of it," said Beast Boy. "But don't say everyone when it's just me."

"You're ridiculous," said Raven, shaking her head. "You pick the oddest things to point out and get upset about."

"I do not!" he objected.

"You just did," said Raven.

"Oh, once," he said, rolling his eyes. "I don't do it all the time."

Raven sighed and snuggled into her pillow. "You're exhausting," she said. "And if you're just going to sit there and make odd points then I'm going back to sleep."

"Oh no, I took up all of your energy?" he asked, fearfully. "I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do?"

"Beast Boy, though I'm currently unable to even lift my head, when I do regain my strength I'll hit you if you don't stop trying to make me comfortable," said Raven. "Now, please, go."

"Fine, I'll leave your room," he said, standing up. "But I'm not leaving the tower."

"What about Crystal?" said Raven. "You're not there to watch her."

"The others are taking care of her," said Beast Boy.

"Yeah, but what if she gets hurt and wants you?" said Raven. "Or what if she goes missing because the others are trying to keep an eye on the other kids?"

Beast Boy knew what she was doing, and it was working. He was beginning to grow nervous. "They know how I worry," he said. "They'll take good care of her."

"Yeah, until Cyborg thinks it's okay for her to go to the bathroom alone," said Raven. "Just think, she could be abducted three feet away from them and no one would notice until it was too late."

Beast Boy let this sink in and now he couldn't stop thinking of worst case scenarios. "Oh, you suck," he growled at her and ran out of her room. He quickly exited the tower altogether and flew back to the carnival.

"Thank goodness," said Raven, as she fell back to sleep.

Beast Boy arrived back at the carnival and found Crystal to be fine and having a great time. She'd even played a few games and won a giant panda that was bigger than she was! He felt like a fool for rushing back when it was clear she would be alright in his friends' care, but he knew Raven wanted to be alone.

"So why didn't she answer?" asked Nightwing.

"She was asleep," said Beast Boy.

"Is she not feeling well?" asked Starfire.

"Unfortunately, no," said Beast Boy. "She said not too long after we left she felt tired and weak. By the time I got to her she could barely lift her head."

"I'm surprised you didn't stay with her," said Bumblebee.

"I was gonna, but she tricked me into coming back," said Beast Boy.

"She tricked you?" asked Cyborg.

"I don't wanna talk about it," said Beast Boy. "Let's just say she used my undying love for Crystal against me."

"She made him think we wouldn't take care of her properly," Bumblebee whispered aside to the others.

"B, you're one of the most overprotective father's I've ever met!" Cyborg laughed. "Poor thing, I can't imagine what's gonna happen when she becomes a teenager."

Beast Boy shuddered and said, "Don't even get me started. I feel sick about it already."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 11

It was a horrid night. There wasn't a star to be found for the sky was covered with threatening black clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder clashed overhead in a horrible way that made the tower shake. Needless to say, none of the children were very happy. The worst of it all was that the storm hadn't hit until two in the morning.

Beast Boy slept in his tangled sheets in nothing but boxers and an undershirt. He was known to sleep through anything, and that included such terrible storms like the one outside. So he definitely didn't hear his door slide open and someone enter quickly.

"Daddy?" a little voice said through the darkness. She didn't get a response so she fearfully began to shake her father's arm. "Daddy!"

Beast Boy snorted and sprung up, startled. "What?" he said. "What's going on?"

"Daddy, I'm scared," said Crystal. "There's thunder and lightning."

"There is?" he asked. Moments later the night sky lit up and a loud crash of thunder rumbled and shook the foundation. Crystal squealed with fright and covered her head. "Awe, it's okay," he said and lifted her up onto the bed with him. "Nothing's gonna happen, it's just loud."

"I'm scared," she cried, hugging him tightly.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe," he said, rubbing her back. "You can sleep in my bed tonight."

"I'm too scared to go to sleep," she said.

"Then what do you wanna do?" he asked.

"I wish Raven could read me a story," said Crystal. "She hasn't read me one in forever!"

"She read one to you two days ago," said Beast Boy. "And I think she's asleep."

"Maybe she's not," said Crystal. "Please? Can we check?"

Beast Boy sighed and said, "Alright." He got out of bed, scooped her up into his arms, and made his way out of the room. He walked down the long hallway to Ravens room, knowing full well that she was asleep. But Crystal needed proof or she'd never let it go. They made it to Ravens door and he lightly knocked on it. They waited about four seconds, but no reply came. "See? I told you she was asleep."

"You didn't knock loud enough," said Crystal. She reached forward and, before Beast Boy could stop her, knocked as hard as she could. As soon as she finished it thundered again and she clung tightly to her father until it was over.

"Well if _that_ didn't wake her up she must be asleep for the night," said Beast Boy. "Come on, I'll make you a glass of warm milk and then-"

"What's going on?" asked Raven, opening her door.

"I knew you were awake!" said Crystal.

"Well I am now," said Raven. Her hair was in tangles and her eyes puffy from sleep. "What's the matter?"

"Sorry to wake you," said Beast Boy, genuinely feeling bad. "Crystal just wanted-."

"Will you read me a story?" Crystal blurted out.

"…now?" asked Raven after a moment. She had to make sure this wasn't some odd dream.

"She can't sleep because of the storm," said Beast Boy. "Just tell her that you need to sleep."

"Please, Raven?" pleaded Crystal.

Raven yawned and said, "Alright."

"Hurray!" said Crystal and she leapt onto Raven, who luckily caught her and happened to have the strength to hold her. Beast Boy nearly had a heart attack.

"What story do you want?" asked Raven.

"Beauty and the Beast," said Crystal.

"Okay, let's go get that one," said Raven, leaving her room and heading for Crystal's.

"Uh, Raven, are you sure you're feeling up to it?" asked Beast Boy.

"Absolutely," said Raven, not giving him a second thought. He watched as they went off down the hall.

"Daddy, you can go get me some warm milk now," said Crystal over Ravens shoulder with a smirk. "Raven, you want some?"

"Sure, I could go for some warm milk," said Raven.

"Two warm milks, daddy!" Crystal called to him.

"What about me?" asked Beast Boy.

"You don't need any cuz you're already sleepy," she said and then giggled.

Beast Boy grumbled, mostly because he _was_ wide awake now, and headed off to the kitchen. He poured two glasses of milk and one glass of soy milk, heated them up in the microwave, and then headed back to Ravens room. All the while the storm continued to rage on.

He reached Ravens room and found that the story had already begun. 'Jeez, they could've waited for me,' he thought to himself. Raven was sitting cross legged on her bed with Crystal in her lap. The curtain of her large window had its dark curtain pulled over it so the lightning wouldn't scare Crystal. He gave them both their milks and took a seat in Ravens chair with his own milk. He reclined it and drank while listening to Raven read to his daughter.

"Once upon a time there lived a prince who was given anything his heart desired," read Raven. "But he was a spoiled, selfish prince who thought about no one but himself…"

As the story went on Beast Boy found him self studying Raven as she read. Her voice was soft and soothing and even when the thunder rumbled it never wavered. This calmed Crystal and made her feel like everything was alright. He knew she was feeling comfortable when she reached up and began to twirl a lock of her blond hair. She only did that when she was growing tired and felt completely comfortable. He watched as slowly but surely Crystal nodded off in Ravens lap. And even when he was sure she was asleep Raven continued to read to make sure she really did fall into a peaceful slumber.

He couldn't believe how nurturing Raven was; nothing like Terra. He remembered how Terra always reacted when there was a storm and Crystal went into her room crying. She would turn her away and tell her to go to him. Of course, he'd always let her sleep in his bed. He could never turn her away. Terra wasn't a bad person, she just wasn't maternal.

He hated how cruel life was. Terra had been blessed enough to have a beautiful daughter and wanted nothing to do with her. Raven was a natural mother and she would never get to have children. It just wasn't fair. Life never seemed to be fair, especially when it came to Raven.

He wondered if she'd ever gotten a chance to be in love. Had she ever even been kissed? He knew that it was an absurd question, but he wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't. Raven had always been afraid of intimacy and wouldn't have allowed her self to fall in love. But, with her powers gone, she must have finally felt the pain the absence of love could bring. He knew he certainly felt it.

And that's when he realized that the pain he'd been bearing ever since he and Terra had broken up was gone. Instead, he felt sense of peacefulness and happiness inside of him. He watched Raven reading and felt this wonderful feeling intensify. Could it be that he was starting to develop feelings for her? He couldn't deny the fact that seeing her with Crystal made him happy and sometimes, when they were alone, he felt like he could spend hours upon end with her and not mind at all. All of this helped him come to the conclusion that, slowly but surely, he was starting to fall for her.

Hours passed and soon all three had fallen asleep. The storm had finally moved on and the night had become calm once more. Within hours the sun began to rise and any evidence that there had been a storm at all was gone. But not even the sun could penetrate through Ravens dark curtain and the three inside continued to sleep.

Beast Boy awoke in Ravens chair and for a moment had no idea where he was. He looked around and realized he was in Ravens room. Events of the night came back to him and he realized what'd happened. He looked to Ravens bed and saw both she and Crystal still fast asleep, curled up next to each other.

He stood up and gave a good stretch. He looked upon both the girls and smiled. They looked so cute together; as if they were mother and daughter. He couldn't believe that Raven could look cute. She sure was full of surprises.

And then his mind couldn't help but go to darker thoughts. Raven was dying. She should have been dead already. The fact that she was still alive was a miracle. She could die any day now. For all he knew this might be his last day with her. No matter what, it was going to be hard on him when she did go. But he knew he'd feel a little better if he could make her happy. He just wasn't sure what he could do.

And then it hit him; a small epiphany that began to grow as he thought about it more and more. He knew what he could do to make her happy, or at least make one of her dreams come true. He just had to think it through and make it work. And he prayed he could get the support of the others.

He gently scooped Crystal into his arms and brought her to her own bed. She didn't wake up for a second. Raven had certainly put her into a deep sleep. Once he'd tucked her in he headed for his own bed. As comfortable as Ravens chair was, which it _really_ was, he liked to sleep in his own bed. His head had just hit the pillow when the alarm sounded.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he groaned. He rolled back out of the bed and immediately started putting his uniform on, cussing and grumbling all the while. Once he was dressed he ran to the common room to meet the others.

"Man, that was one hell of a storm last night, huh?" said Cyborg.

"You're telling me," said Beast Boy tiredly.

"Where's the trouble this time?" asked Bumblebee. "Whoever's causing it I'm gonna kill for waking us up so early."

"It's Control Freak," said Nightwing. "He's raiding the grocery store this time."

"What is he doing up this early?" asked Starfire.

"He probably never went to bed," said Cyborg. "Alright, y'all, let's get this over with."

"Who wants to wake Raven up?" asked Bumblebee.

"I'll do it," Beast Boy sighed. "You guys go, I'll catch up."

"Alright, don't take too long," said Nightwing.

"Like you guys won't be able to take down Control Freak without me," Beast Boy scoffed and ran out of the common room to go to Ravens room yet again. He finally made it to Ravens room and opened her door. "Raven," he said loudly to wake her up.

"What?" she groaned.

"We've got a mission," said Beast Boy. "You gotta watch the kids, and just so you know the twins are crying."

She sighed and sat up. "Alright, I'm on it," she said, sliding out of her bed. "Good luck on the mission."

"Thanks, see ya later," said Beast Boy and he turned to leave. He took barely three steps when he heard a thud from her room. He turned around and looked back inside to find Raven on the floor. "Raven!" He ran to her and, first off, made sure she was alive before he went into hysterics. He saw her breathing and was relieved. She'd only fainted. Not that that was much better.

He scooped her up and put her back on the bed. "Raven?" he said. "Come on, wake up."

She began to moan and that meant she was coming back into consciousness. Her eyes finally fluttered open and she looked around. She looked up and saw Beast Boy looming over her. "Beast Boy?"

"Thank God," he said. "Are you okay?"

"I… I think so," she said, unsurely. "What happened? Did I faint?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "You stay put." He grabbed his communicator and flipped it open, dialing Nightwing. "Hey, NW?"

"Beast Boy, where are you?" asked Nightwing.

"I'm still at the tower," said Beast Boy. "Raven fainted."

"Is she okay?" he asked, alarmed.

"She was only out for like a minute," said Beast Boy. "She's awake now. Listen, I'm gonna stay with her. You guys should be fine."

"Alright, we'll be back as soon as we can," said Nightwing. "Take care of her."

"Trust me, I will," he said. He closed his communicator and went back over to her. She was attempting to sit up, but he wasn't going to allow it. "No, no, no, you're not getting up."

"But the twins are crying," said Raven, feeling dizzy again.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of them," said Beast Boy. "You just stay put."

Raven sighed and decided to stop resisting. She hated it when she fainted. She always felt weaker afterwards. She could still hear the two little boys crying and she wished she could go to them and comfort them. She wanted to help out, not be a burden, which was how she felt now. She really wasn't sure how they could put up with her; she knew she was horribly high maintenance.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 12

After Ravens fainting spell everyone was even more careful around her, though she told them it wasn't necessary. And it made the reality of the situation that much realer for everyone. Nightwing called Ravens doctor and told him that she'd fainted again. He advised them to make sure she didn't do anything too strenuous, since her heart was even weaker now.

But no matter how much they tried to baby her, she refused to be treated as such. She told them that they were to pretend as if she was fine, just like always. And they did, but it was all an act. She knew this, but she didn't care.

Beast Boy stood leaning in the doorway of the common room watching her. She was walking around with Jack in her arms, lulling him to sleep by swaying back and forth and humming. He'd been crying all day until Starfire finally gave him to Raven to calm down. Now he was drifting in and out of sleep, the remains of his tears still on his cheeks, as he sucked his thumb. Beast Boy couldn't help smiling. In all the years he'd known her, she'd never looked so at peace.

"She's sure got the mother thing down," said Cyborg, who'd appeared next to him suddenly.

"Yup, she sure does," said Beast Boy, agreeing.

Cyborg sighed and said, "Sure is a shame she's never gonna get to actually be a mom."

"I know," said Beast Boy. A quiet moment passed between them as they continued to watch Raven. Finally, Beast Boy decided to put his idea out there. "You know, I was kinda thinking of asking Raven to marry me."

Cyborg looked at him so quickly had his neck not been made of metal it would've broken. "What?" said Cyborg.

Beast Boy motioned for them to leave the doorway and walk down the hallway. "I think I'm gonna ask Raven to marry me," he said again.

"Why?" said Cyborg.

"Cuz I think it'll make her happy," said Beast Boy.

"Where the hell do you come up with that logic?!" said Cyborg, still rather confused.

"Would you calm down!" said Beast Boy. "Look, Raven said that she's always dreamed of having a family. If I marry her then she'll have one!"

"B, we're her family," said Cyborg.

"You know what I mean," said Beast Boy. "She wanted to get married and have children. If I marry her then I can take care of her and Crystal would technically be her daughter. I think it's the perfect idea."

Cyborg sighed and said, "B, I know you don't want Rae to die, but doing this isn't gonna save her."

"I know that," said Beast Boy lowly. "I'm not God and I'm not gonna try to be. I just wanna make her happy. I wanna take care of her."

"Why?" asked Cyborg. "I mean, we all want what's best for her and we all want her to be happy, but you're going to a whole other place if you wanna marry her to make her happy. And you know that she's gonna die and probably soon. Marrying her is only gonna make it that much harder when she does go. Why you gonna put yourself through that?"

"Because it's the least I can do for her," said Beast Boy. "Because… I made a lot of bad decision in my life that I wouldn't have if I'd listened to her."

Cyborg thought about this and then understood. "This is going back to Terra, isn't it?" he said.

Beast Boy sighed and nodded. "Raven knew way back then that Terra wasn't very good," he said. "But I wouldn't listen to her. And for a few years I thought I was right. But, in the end, Rae was right. She's always been right. I owe her for my being such jackass about the whole Terra thing. She got everything and Rae got nothing. I just wanna make things right, Cy. I wanna take care of her and be there for her until the end."

Cyborg shook his head and said, "Man, they broke the mold when they made you."

Beast Boy smiled and said, "So, do you think it's a good idea?"

"Sure, it's a good idea," said Cyborg. "I just don't know if Raven will actually go for it."

"But are you at least behind me?" asked Beast Boy.

"Yeah, man," said Cyborg, wrapping his arm around. "If you want to go through with this then I'm totally behind it."

"Good," said Beast Boy. "I wonder what the others are gonna think."

"They'll probably think you're crazy," said Cyborg. "I know I sure do."

"You just said it was a good idea!" said Beast Boy.

"Yeah, I know," said Cyborg. "Doesn't mean I can't think you're crazy, too."

"Come on, I wanna tell everyone my idea," said Beast Boy. "Let's call a meeting."

They went around the tower and found the other three Titan members and brought them to the evidence room to talk. Beast Boy slowly revealed his plan to them and used as many long, intelligent words as possible. He wanted them to know he was serious about this and that he'd really thought it out. But no matter how he told it, they were a hard crowd.

"Beast Boy, have you lost your mind?!" said Bumblebee.

"She'll never go for it," said Nightwing, shaking his head.

"She barely tolerates you as it is!" said Bumblebee.

"She'll probably think it's a joke and hate you," said Nightwing.

"What if it's such a shock she has a heart attack?!" said Bumblebee.

"Have you thought this through at all?" said Nightwing.

"Do you have a ring?" Starfire clapped. The others just looked at her for a moment.

"Look, I think B's got a good idea going here," said Cyborg. "I mean, yeah, it's totally ludicrous and out of left field, but that's what he's known for anyway. Or, at least, he used to be. This is the first crazy idea you've had in like five years."

"No, it isn't," Beast Boy objected.

"Yeah, it is," said Cyborg. "Raven's slowly turning you back into your old self. Hell, this is a better deal for you than it is for Raven!"

"No! I want to do this for Raven, not me!" said Beast Boy.

"Are you sure, Beast Boy?" asked Nightwing.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said. "I only got this idea when I was trying to think of a way to make her happy. She told me that she'd dreamed of getting married and having children. I can give her that so why shouldn't I? I mean, if she'd always dreamed of having her own custom car you'd make one for her, right Cy?"

"Well, sure," said Cyborg.

"And if she wanted to go on a shopping spree, not that she ever would, but if she did you'd be there for her, right Bumblebee?" said Beast Boy.

"Well, yeah," said Bumblebee.

"And if she wanted to get her hair done you'd be there for her, right Star?" said Beast Boy.

"Yes, I most certainly would," said Starfire.

"And Nightwing, if she wanted to beat you at hand to hand combat you'd take the dive, right?" said Beast Boy.

"Well… I guess," said Nightwing.

"See? This isn't all that different," said Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy, you want to marry her, not take her shopping," said Bumblebee. "It's _very_ different."

"Look, this is her dream and who are you guys to tell her that she can't have it?" said Beast Boy, crossing his arms. "And, being the only single guy in the tower, I'm the only one who can give her her dream. And I _really_ wanna do this for her."

"Well I support him," said Cyborg. "Y'all in?"

"Oh, I am!" said Starfire. "I think it is a wonderful idea."

"Fine, I'll support you," said Bumblebee, crossing her arms. "But if this blows up in your face, I'm gonna be there saying 'I told you so', got it?"

"Yeah, got it," said Beast Boy, rolling his eyes. "What about you, NW? Can I get your support?"

Nightwing, who had been really thinking about all of this, sighed and said, "My main concern is Ravens feelings. This idea of yours is either going to work out really well and everyone will be happy or it'll go down in flames and she's going to be even worse off than before. Are you really willing to take that risk?"

"I know this is a good idea," said Beast Boy. "I know it from the bottom of my heart."

"Alright, I support you then," said Nightwing. "But if she gets so upset she wants you thrown off the team, then I'm going to do it."

"Sounds fair," said Beast Boy.

The group dispatched and Beast Boy went off to make plans for the proposal. He wanted it to be just right. Starfire offered her services, but he declined and said that he was better off doing it alone. But he told her that if Raven accepted the proposal she could help with the wedding. And _that_ certainly kept Starfire quiet and gave Beast Boy all of the space he wanted.

While Beast Boy went to work on his ultra special proposal, as he was calling it now, Nightwing and Cyborg went off to work on Ravens case. For weeks they'd been monitoring her and trying to figure out any connections to her highs and lows during the day. Cyborg sat at the computer in him and Bumblebee's room with Nightwing pacing behind him.

"I don't know about you, but I don't see any connection here," said Cyborg, sitting back in his chair. "Her condition fluctuates randomly all day."

"There has to be something," said Nightwing. "It can't be random."

"Each day is completely different from the last," said Cyborg. "The only thing I've noticed so far is that when she's completely alone and we've all gone to give her some time alone her condition worsens."

"Alright, let's work off of that then," said Nightwing. "If she gets worse when she's alone, then being around us must make her stronger."

"Then how come twice she's fainted and grown weaker when she was with Beast Boy?" asked Cyborg.

"Maybe she needs to be around more than one person," said Nightwing.

"No, that can't be it," said Cyborg. "Multiple times at night when she's with all five of us she's grown tired and too weak to move."

"True," Nightwing sighed. "Alright, let's not focus on when she's weak. Highlight the times she's seemed the strongest."

"Okay," said Cyborg looking through the files and highlighting the appropriate ones. "Here you go."

The two looked through the highlighted times and looked for any pattern or constant. Many minutes passed as they went over the information over and over, looking for anything. They looked for any word that might have been used multiple times, anything to make a connection and then, for Nightwing, it clicked.

"Oh my God," he said with realization.

"What? Did you find something?" asked Cyborg.

"I-I think I did," said Nightwing in disbelief. "Tell me, has there been any time when Raven's babysitting and been weak?"

"Uh, let me see," said Cyborg. He quickly checked through all of the files. "Uh… no. Huh, isn't that weird? She's never had a weak spell when she was babysittin the kids."

"Has she ever been weak when she's near the kids?" asked Nightwing.

Cyborg typed and searched some more. "No," he said. "Every time she's felt weak she's either alone or with just us adults. You don't think…"

"I do," said Nightwing. "I think Ravens strength comes from the kids."

"So, what the hell does that mean?" said Cyborg, who felt more confused than ever. "Is she sucking the life out of the kids?"

"No, that can't be," said Nightwing. "If she were, the kids would be getting weaker, but, if anything, they've been happier and better than ever since she's gotten here."

"True," said Cyborg. "So why would Raven be gettin stronger when she's around kids?"

"I don't know," said Nightwing. "But at least we know how to keep her alive for a while longer. We have to make sure she's never too far away from any of the kids."

"Should we tell her?" asked Cyborg.

"Not yet," said Nightwing. "I want to figure all of this out first before we go off telling everyone. For now, this stays between you and me."

"Got it," said Cyborg.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 13

The next day Beast Boy had everything set up and ready. He'd wanted to do it as soon as possible, since she could suddenly go at any moment. He just prayed she'd make it to sunset. To his relief, sunset arrived and she was looking very well. She'd spent the morning with the twins and Nicole when the others went to run errands and then all five children in the afternoon when they had to go stop Red X from raiding a jewelry store.

She currently sat reading in the common room while the kids played and watched television. Bumblebee and Cyborg were making dinner, Starfire was folding some laundry, and Nightwing was at work in the evidence room. Beast Boy entered and saw Raven sitting on the couch, coughing; that was her newest symptom. He took in a big breath and made his way towards her. This was it, time to put the plan into action.

"Hey, Rae," he said cheerfully.

"You know, I'd prefer it if you didn't call me that," said Raven simply.

"You haven't said anything about it before," said Beast Boy.

"I shouldn't have to," she said, coughing again and clearing her throat.

Well this was going well.

"So, have you seen the sunset?" he said.

Raven looked up from her book and looked outside. "Huh, looks nice," she said and then looked back to her book.

"Have you seen it from the roof lately?" he asked. "It looks amazing up there."

"It usually does," said Raven.

God, she wasn't making this easy!

"I was gonna head up there to watch it," he said. "Wanna join me?"

"No, that's okay," said Raven.

Alright, he was going to have to bring out the big guns.

He sat down next to her and sighed. "How can you say that?" he said sadly. "Rae, what if… what if this is your last sunset? How can you pass up the chance to see this beautiful sight?"

Raven hadn't thought of that and quickly began to think about this. She finally sighed and said, "You're right. I don't even know if I'll survive the night. Alright, I'll go watch it."

"Cool!" he exclaimed which got an odd look from Raven. "Uh, I mean, great. Come on, it'll be over in only a few minutes."

The two made their way up to the roof, the most ideal spot to watch the sunset. He walked her over to the edge of the roof and the two took a seat so that their legs dangled over the edge. Beast Boy noticed Raven take a seat as far back as she could. She looked a bit hesitant and nervous.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "It's just… I have a bit of a problem with heights."

"What?!" he half exclaimed and half laughed. "Since when? You've been flying for as long as I've known you."

"Well I can't anymore," said Raven. "If I fell off of the roof right now I'd fall to my death."

"No, you wouldn't," he said.

"Yes, I would," she said, not understanding why he wasn't getting it. "Beast Boy, I don't have any powers."

"I know," said Beast Boy. "But if you fell off of the roof right now, you wouldn't fall to your death, Raven. I'd catch you long before you hit the bottom."

"Oh," said Raven. "Well, that's true."

"I'll always be there if you need saving, Rae," he said with a smile.

"Uh… thanks," said Raven. "That's, um, that's nice to know." She could tell something was odd about him right now.

The two watched as the sun began to sink further into golden clouds that seemed to be cotton candy fluffs on fire. It really was a magnificent sight. Beast Boy felt a bit nervous, but knew he had to be calm. He just hoped this wasn't going to all go down in flames. He finally took in a big breath and got on with it.

"Rae?" he said, getting her attention again. "I didn't just ask you up here to watch the sunset with me."

"You didn't?" said Raven.

"No," he said. "I asked you up here to, well, ask you something else."

"And just what would that something else be?" asked Raven, trying to hurry him along. She was starting to feel tired and a little dizzy.

"Well, let me just start off by saying that you're one of my best friends and you always have been," he said. "I mean, we've known each other for like ten years, ever since we were teenagers. And it kills me every day that six of those ten years you were gone. Cuz when you were around, I hate to admit this, I always felt safer. No matter what was going on you always had a cool head and you always knew what the right thing to do was. When I was conflicted you were there to give me your opinion and try to make me feel better. And, even though I kinda ignored or denied all of your really good advice, the fact is that I realize now that you _were_ always right. And I was, as usual, an idiot for not listening to you."

"Go on," said Raven with a small smile, agreeing with all he was saying. He could be an idiot at times.

He smiled back and said, "Well, I kinda wanna make up for being such an idiot. I took you for granted and I wanna say I'm sorry for that. I wasn't the kind of friend I should've been and I finally saw that when I found out about your… situation. The fact that you're dying and you didn't feel comfortable telling me, or anyone else for that matter, really hurt. Because I would do anything for you, to make you happy, or to make you feel comfortable. And it's clear you didn't know that because you thought I'd be happier if you left and never turned up again rather than tell me you're in trouble and let me share in your pain."

Raven coughed a few times then said, "Beast Boy, don't ever think that you weren't a good friend. You've always been a great friend, whether I wanted you to be or not. You always treated me like I was no different than anyone else, which is something no one else has ever done. Everyone's always treated me different because of who I am. But you didn't, and I think you should know that I _do_ appreciate all you've done for me. And it was because you were such a good friend and a good person that I left, because I didn't want to drag you down with me."

"But, see, that's where you're wrong," he said. "If you'd told me about this when you first found out I would've done anything to help you. Do you think I would've blamed you or something? That I would've resented you for taking up my time? You're dying, and, God willing, I've still got a lot of good years ahead of me. I'd give up a few years of my life to make you happy."

"You say that now," said Raven. "But when I found this out Terra had just returned and you two were finally together. If I'd come out and said that I was dying you _would_ have resented me and thought I was doing it on purpose just to keep you two apart or something."

"Well, okay, I might have," said Beast Boy. "Or I might've taken it as an omen. I mean, in the end, we weren't meant to be together."

"I just have this feeling that if I'd stayed here you would've blamed _me_ for your relationship not working out," said Raven, scooting back off the roof and coughing dry, heavy coughs. She was really feeling tired now and would've loved if they could continue this somewhere she could sit comfortably.

Beast Boy sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe you feel that way," he said. "I mean, yeah, when I was like fifteen I would've blamed you cuz I was an immature, hormone driven teenager. But we were practically adults when you found this out. If you'd told me about your situation and later I broke up with Terra I wouldn't have made any connection between the two things."

"Wow," said Raven with a small smile. "I guess you really did grow up. You're nothing like the Beast Boy I knew six years ago."

"And you're nothing like the Raven I knew six years ago," said Beast Boy.

"I guess times changes us all," said Raven. She coughed and began to sway a bit. She had to grip the roof to stay where she was. She was really feeling tired now.

"You okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, just starting to feel tired, that's all," she said, patting her aching chest. "So, have you asked your question or whatever it was yet?"

"Uh, heh, no," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well get on with it, because I'd really like to go to bed," said Raven.

"Alright," he said, realizing he'd drawn this out for far too long. "Well, the reason I brought all of this up was because I just want you to realize how important you are to me."

"I do realize that," said Raven.

"And I want you to know that I would do anything to make you happy," said Beast Boy.

"I know," said Raven. "You've told me several times."

"So, I was wondering if you'd let me make your biggest dream come true," he said, gently taking her hand.

"And… just what dream would that be?" she asked, a bit shocked that he'd taken her hand so lovingly.

"Well, Rae, uh, Raven, would you… would you marry me?" he asked with a nervous smile, revealing a ring in a lovely little velvet box.

The reaction he got from her was one he'd never seen before. It was a mixture of shock, confusion, and shear speechlessness. It took her a few moments, but she finally found her voice. "So… you think my biggest dream is to marry you?" she asked, confused.

"What? No," he said. "I know that your biggest dream is to get married and have a family."

"Yeah but, no offense, not with you," she said.

"Well, duh, I know that," he said.

"Then why the hell do you want to marry me?" she asked.

"Because I want to take care of you," said Beast Boy. "And if we get married then Crystal will be your daughter. See, you'll have the family you wanted!"

"Beast Boy, that's not exactly what I meant by getting married and having children," said Raven.

"I know," said Beast Boy. "But it's the best and the most I can offer."

"I never asked you to offer me anything," said Raven. "I never asked you for anything period."

"And you shouldn't have to," said Beast Boy. "Look, everyone is behind me on this, but they also think that I'm doing this because I'm in denial about the fact that you're… dying. Well, I'm not. I know you're getting weaker and I know there's nothing I can do to stop the inevitable. I just want to do everything in my power to make you happy. And I thought that by asking you to marry me I could make your dream of having a family come true and I'd finally be able to take care of you no questions asked. Not only that but Crystal will finally have the mother she deserves."

"But not for very long," said Raven. "If we get married and she starts thinking of me as her mom how's she going to take it when I die? How do you think she's going to feel when her second mother dies?"

"Rae, whether you accept my proposal or not, Crystal loves you like you're her mom," said Beast Boy. "Hell, you've only been here for like a month and you've been a better mother than Terra ever was!"

Raven sighed and looked into her lap in deep thought, coughing in her throat. Beast Boy felt very nervous and had a bad feeling. He only had one more thing he could use that might help. It was either going to help or put her right off of this idea.

"And… there's also another reason I'd kinda like you to marry me," he said, looking into the horizon. Raven looked up from her lap and turned to him. "You see, ever since you came back to the tower, I couldn't help but notice what a beautiful, wonderful person you are. And, because of that, I think I might be, um… well… for lack of better words, getting a… crush on you." He finally turned towards her to see her reaction.

Well she was certainly surprised and shocked, but not as severely as he'd thought she'd be. The shock only lasted for a few seconds and then she went back into deep thought, continuing to look in his direction for many minutes. She then bit her lip and looked away. "Beast Boy… I can't really be sure if you have feelings for me," she said. "I mean, a few years ago I could've just felt your emotions and known for sure, but now I can't. But there's one thing I am sure of. You're a sincere person and, at this point, you wouldn't lie to me. So, because you've made such a good, logical proposal, I've decided to… accept it."

"So… you'll marry me?" he asked.

She turned back to him and with a small smile said, "Yes. For the last few moments of my life I'll be Mrs. Raven Logan."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 14

Raven couldn't believe how quickly everything was happening. As soon as she'd agreed to marry Beast Boy everyone in the tower knew and was celebrating. Starfire and Bumblebee immediately began showering Raven with wedding magazines and making plans with or without Ravens consent. Beast Boy was immediately cornered by Cyborg and Nightwing and given another serious talking to. By the time it was time for bed the newly engaged couple hadn't spent two minutes together.

She was barely able to make it to her room she was so tired. She was achy all over and coughing up a storm. She dragged herself into her room and got ready for bed. As she undressed she began to think. Was she making the right decision in marrying Beast Boy? Sure, he was a nice guy, but it wasn't going to be like a real marriage; not the kind she'd always dreamed of. She was sure their relationship wouldn't change all that much. They would just be legally bound to one another.

But the thought of having someone there to keep her comfortable did make her happy. And he had said that he was getting a crush on her. She was quite sure no one had ever had a crush on her before, so that made things interesting as well. And the fact that he could like her in that way at all suddenly made him very attractive to her. Anyone who could fall in love with her she'd certainly fall in love with back.

Wait a moment, love? He said he had a crush on her; he wasn't in love with her. But… a crush could lead to love, if she lived long enough. What would that be like? To fall in love and be loved in return? What a wondrous feeling that would be.

She began to cough and so she took a seat in her chair. Nothing ever came of the coughs; they were just dry and very painful. Of course, she knew why she was coughing and she knew that the others didn't. And she wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. They didn't need to know how bad her condition really was.

A knock came from her door and she did her best to silence the coughs. "Yes?" she responded.

"Uh, it's me," said Beast Boy. "And Crystal."

"Come in," she said.

The door slid open and Crystal burst inside, running right over to Raven. "Hi!" she said excitedly. "You're gonna be my mommy now, right?"

Raven looked to Beast Boy who was walking over to her. "You told her?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," said Beast Boy. "I thought she had a right to know."

"I'm so happy!" said Crystal, throwing her arms around Raven.

"That's good," said Raven, relieved. She wasn't sure how Crystal would take the news, but it looked like she was very supportive. "But, you know that you're not going to have to call me mom or anything, right?"

"Why not?" asked Crystal. "I… I thought you were gonna be my mommy? Why can't I call you mommy?"

"Oh, well, I guess if you want to…" said Raven.

"Yeah, I do!" said Crystal with a big smile and she hugged her even tighter. "You're my mommy-Raven."

Raven was quite speechless for a moment, but then smiled and held Crystal even closer to her. Her aches seemed to fade away and the coughs she'd been denying in her throat had disappeared. She felt as if she could actually feel Crystal's love for her. It seemed like forever since she could sense such a thing.

Beast Boy watched this and smiled. "Alright, time for bed everyone," he said. "Say goodnight."

"Goodnight, mommy-Raven," said Crystal with a giggle and she gave Raven a kiss. And with that she went skipping off to get ready for bed.

Hearing Crystal say that made Raven feel very happy and she couldn't help the smile that shown proudly on her lips. She was also slightly blushing; she really wasn't used to someone calling her 'mommy' before. It was a very new experience.

"Hey, I'm gonna be right back, so don't go to sleep yet," said Beast Boy and he ran after Crystal.

Raven smiled and settled into her chair feeling quite content. Now she was quite sure she was making the right decision. Because it wasn't just about her; this was about Beast Boy and Crystal as well. This marriage would give three of them something they'd always wanted. Though, she still wasn't exactly sure what Beast Boy was truly getting out of this. But, this was his idea, so he must have had some reasoning behind hit for himself.

A few minutes later he was back and Raven was feeling tired once more and was quite ready for bed. He went over to her and knelt down next to her chair so they could talk. He noticed how tired she looked, but he also saw how content she was.

"So… you really sure about this?" he asked. "Because you can still back out if you want to."

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm not going to back out," she said. "I was a little… unsure at first, but now I'm happy about it."

He smiled and said, "Wow, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that. I've barely even gotten to talk to you since I proposed, so I wasn't sure how you were feeling about it."

"Well, rest assured that I'm not going to call off this proposal," said Raven. "We're going to get married." As soon as the words left her mouth she realized that it was true. She, Raven, and he, Beast Boy, were going to get married. She suddenly felt very dizzy and a bit overwhelmed.

"I know, weird, huh?" said Beast Boy, just about reading Ravens mind. "Never thought this was gonna happen; you and me getting hitched. But, I think this is a good thing. No, I know this is a good thing. I'm gonna make you so happy, Rae."

Raven smiled and said, "I know you are, Beast Boy. Now, would you mind helping me?"

"Sure, what do you need?" he said.

"I need some help getting out of this chair so I can go to bed," she said.

"Oh, is that all," he said, relieved. He stood up and took her hands, gently yanking her out of the chair. Even his gentle pull made her go flying into him. He caught her before she could fall back into the chair and made sure she was steady.

"Good Azar you've gotten strong," said Raven.

"Uh, heh, sorry about that," he said, a bit embarrassed. "You all set?"

"Yes," she said. "Thanks for the help." She went to her bed and proceeded to get in. Beast Boy quickly went and turned down her bed so she could get in easily. She thought this was a bit unnecessary, but she was too tired to shoo him away.

"Hey, I was thinking," said Beast Boy as he helped her get into bed. "You wanna go out on Friday?"

"Why?" asked Raven, who started to cough again.

"Cuz I think as an engaged couple we should get to at least go out on one date," said Beast Boy. "What do you think?"

Raven settled in, letting her self absorb into her soft, cushioned bed and thought for a moment. "Alright," she said. "That sounds like a good, logical idea."

Beast Boy smiled and said, "Well, as long as it's logical." Raven smiled back and closed her eyes. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. And remember, you can't die on me cuz we have a date now."

Raven chuckled a little and said, "Alright, I promise."

"Good," said Beast Boy. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Beast Boy," said Raven and she curled onto her side.

He watched her get comfortable for a moment and then made his way out of her room. He definitely couldn't deny that he had a crush on her now. He wasn't sure if it was time, her condition, or that he'd never seen it before, but Raven seemed so much softer now; so sweet, kind, but above all else still real. There was nothing fake about Raven, and there never had been.

He closed her door and headed down to his room, but was intercepted by Nightwing and Cyborg, again. He was getting quite sick of these two cornering him. They'd spent the last few hours telling him what it meant to be a husband and if he did anything wrong they'd personally kill him. The two were very protective of Raven and always had been.

"Alright, dudes, what is it this time?" he huffed.

"Beast Boy, we just found out something," said Nightwing.

"What?" asked Beast Boy.

"Come on, we'll talk in your room," said Cyborg.

The three men went the rest of the way down the hall until they reached his room. Beast Boy felt rather nervous and wasn't sure what this was about. As serious as they were before, they were dead serious now. Nightwing made sure no one was in the hallway and then closed the door.

"Okay, so what's this about?" asked Beast Boy.

"Well, we told Raven doctor that she'd started coughing," said Cyborg. "And he told us that it was because… well…" It was clear Cyborg was having a hard time getting it out and looked to Nightwing for help.

"It's a sign of heart failure, Beast Boy," said Nightwing.

And just like, the wind was knocked right out of him. He stumbled back and sat down on his bed. "Oh God," he said, putting his face into his hands. His two friends sighed and took a seat on either side of him. "Is he sure? I mean, what if she's just got a cold?"

"Then her doctor would have said that," said Cyborg. "The fact is that her whole body is failing, B."

"Does she know?" asked Beast Boy.

"We haven't told her," said Nightwing. "But I think she knows."

"Then why wouldn't she tell us?" asked Beast Boy.

"She's still trying to protect us," said Cyborg. "She knows that if we knew about this we'd be even more careful with her and not treat her like she wants to be treated."

"God, this sucks," said Beast Boy, running his fingers through his hair. "I guess she's really declining fast, huh?"

"Yes, but we know of a way to keep her pretty stable," said Nightwing.

"What? Really?" said Beast Boy. "What is it?"

"Well, we've discovered that whenever Raven's around the kids she's perfectly fine," said Cyborg. "We think that, for some unknown reason, they're keeping her alive."

"The kids are keeping her alive?" said Beast Boy.

"We're about 99 sure," said Nightwing. "So, from now on, we have to make sure one of the kids is with her at all times."

"Do you think that Raven knows this too?" asked Beast Boy.

"I don't think so," said Cyborg. "If she knew she'd probably keep kids around her all the time."

"So, shouldn't we tell her?" asked Beast Boy.

"We're not sure," said Nightwing. "We'd tell her but we're not sure how she'd react. She'd either think this was finally a solution to her problem or she'd feel guilty about having to be constantly in the company of the kids. It's up to you."

Beast Boy sighed and began to think. Just when he began to think that things may get better, they just seemed to be getting worse. But knowing that there was a way of prolonging Ravens life did give him a surge of hope and determination.

"I'm gonna tell her," said Beast Boy. "She has a right to know."

"Alright, man," said Cyborg, patting Beast Boy on the back. And with that he and Nightwing stood up and headed out.

"We're going to continue our research to find out exactly why Ravens body is reacting so positively to children," said Nightwing. "In the meantime, you just focus on keeping her comfortable and happy."

"That's all I wanna do anyway," said Beast Boy. And with that the two men left. Beast Boy sighed and lay down for a second from his sitting position. He closed his eyes and massaged his face with his hands. He felt tired yet restless now. This day had had so many highs and lows he felt as if he'd just gotten off of some rollercoaster from Hell.

He did his best to clear his mind so he could go to sleep, but something wouldn't leave him be. He couldn't believe that Raven was still holding things from them, from him. She was suffering from heart failure and she still refused to tell him. That didn't sit well with him, not at all. And so, he pulled himself up and left his room to see Raven once more.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 15

Raven finally felt the soothing grasp of sleep take her and she was about to fall into its embrace when she heard a knock on her door. She was jolted right out of her soon to be dreams and was awake once more, for the moment. She sighed and said, "Who is it?"

"It's Beast Boy," he said. "I have to talk to you."

"Beast Boy, I'm trying to sleep," said Raven. "Can't it wait until morning?"

"No," he said, sliding her door open. "It can't." He closed her door and walked across the dark room to her bed. He took a seat on it, but didn't face her.

She moaned and pulled her aching body up into a sitting position as well. "Well, what is it then?" she asked and then began to cough.

He waited for her to finish coughing then began. "Raven… why didn't you tell me you have heart failure?" he asked.

Raven was quite taken back by this and was quiet for a moment. She couldn't believe he knew. "How did you find out?" she asked.

"Does it matter?" asked Beast Boy. "The fact is that you knew and you didn't tell me. I just wanna know why."

Raven sighed and leaned against her headboard. "Beast Boy… I knew that if I told you you'd get upset," she said.

"Well, yeah, I'm pretty damn upset," said Beast Boy. "But I'm more upset that you didn't tell me. I mean, didn't we go over this? You have no reason to keep things from me or anyone else anymore. I just feel… hurt is all."

"I know I should have told you," said Raven. "It's just… I felt like if I didn't tell you then, in some small way, I could be in denial about it. I didn't know it'd upset you so much. I'm sorry."

Beast Boy sighed and finally turned towards her. "Rae, I can understand that you don't wanna come to terms with what's going on," he said. "But it's only gonna make things that much harder in the end."

Raven was quiet for a moment then said, "I know." She slid down into her bed and turned on her side; she felt so very tired and just sitting up was hard. As soon as she was down she began to choke and cough again.

Beast Boy couldn't stand the sound of Raven coughing. It felt so dry and painful. He lay down next to her and rubbed her back as she coughed, hoping to calm her down a little. He really felt helpless. Finally the coughs died down and she was able to breath once more. She looked exhausted and weak and that scared him. And then he remembered that she didn't have to feel this way. There was a solution.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She shrugged and said, "As well as I can be, I guess."

"Well… would you like to feel better?" asked Beast Boy.

"That's a stupid question," she said in a snap. "Of course I would."

"Then I think it's time I told you that Nightwing and Cyborg discovered something," he said.

"What?" she asked and half yawned.

"Well, they figured out that when you're around children your condition kinda… disappears," said Beast Boy.

Ravens brow furrowed in confusion and she said, "What?"

"For some reason, when you're around kids you're not sick anymore," said Beast Boy. "They're keeping you alive."

Raven took this in and went into deep thought. For many minutes she was quiet. While she thought, Beast Boy studied her. He was glad that his arm was still wrapped around her, his hand resting on her back. She must have felt comforted by it because she hadn't asked him to move it away. Eventually she sighed and came out of her thoughts.

"Well, that _does_ make sense," said Raven. "I mean, it's true, I've never felt ill or weak at all when I'm around or taking care of children. But what does this mean? Do I have to constantly have a child near me to keep me alive? Just thinking about it makes me feel like some sort of leech."

"Come on, don't think of it that way," said Beast Boy. "All of the kids love you and I'm sure if they understood the situation they would do anything to keep you alive."

Raven sighed and said, "So, what am I supposed to do? How am I going to keep kids around me all of the time?"

"We can figure something out," said Beast Boy. "I mean, Crystal said she wants her room painted pink, so tomorrow we can move her bed in here and start repainting it. That way you can feel comfortable at night and not in pain. We'll make sure that one of the kids is always near you. We can make this work."

"But I feel like I'm taking the kids away from their parents," said Raven. "Eventually the others are going to tell me to stay away from them."

"And if they do you'll always have Crystal," said Beast Boy. "You're gonna be her mom now so you shouldn't feel guilty at all about being with her."

"But won't you get sick of me being with her all of the time?" asked Raven.

"Nope," he said simply. "As long as she keeps you alive, I couldn't care less."

"Why do you care so much about me?" asked Raven. "I really can't understand why you want me to live so badly."

"And I can't understand how you could ask me a question like that," said Beast Boy. "Rae, your life has as much meaning as anyone else's and, well, after being away from you for six years I'm not about to lose you again. I don't know if you've figured it out yet, but I care about you."

She gave him a small smile and then began coughing once more. Beast Boy sighed and began rubbing and patting her back again. Once she'd finished he brought her close and held her in his arms. She was so tired and weak she melted into his embrace.

Raven wasn't sure she'd ever been held like this before and it felt… nice. She liked the feel of Beast Boy holding her. It was gentle yet strong, making her feel safe. She felt sleep taking her once more and she cuddled close to him, unaware of what she was doing.

"Beast Boy?" she said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm glad you're going to be my husband," she said softly and then drifted off to sleep.

Beast Boy smiled and said, "I'm glad you're gonna be my wife, Rae." He then reached over and kissed her forehead. He settled in and felt his own exhaustion slip in. Since Raven was so comfortable, he decided he might as well keep her in his arms and sleep there for the night. They were engaged, after all.

That led him into thinking about their future. No, it wouldn't last very long, but if she had children around her she could last a long while. Would they share a bed? He decided he'd leave that up to her. Would they kiss? It would probably be expected at the wedding, but they could always just kiss on the cheek. But he kinda wanted to kiss her. Again, it was up to her. This was all about making her happy. And he was quite sure he'd do anything to make her happy.

He held her a little closer and soaked in the feeling. It'd been a long time since he'd shared his bed with anyone, other than Crystal during a storm, and he'd forgotten how nice it was. Raven was fast asleep by now, but she began to cough nonetheless. He rubbed her back and was surprised she hadn't woken herself up. After a few fits they calmed down and disappeared. He sighed and gently placed his hand over her heart. He felt its soft beating and realized that it was failing. Slowly, her heart and the rest of her body were dying.

Hours passed and soon night faded into morning as the sun was reborn once again. The residence of the tower slowly awoke and soon everyone was bustling about like they did every other day. And, among the residence, little Crystal was awake and looking everywhere for her father.

"Daddy?" she called as she walked down the hall. She had only just woken up and was still in her pajamas. Usually her father woke her up in the morning for school, but she'd woken up on her own this morning and her father was nowhere to be found. She decided to go to the common room where he might be. And if not, one of the other adults must have known.

She walked in and saw Cyborg cooking breakfast and everyone else sitting around the table, ready to eat. "Has anyone seen my daddy?" she asked. Everyone turned their attention to her and then looked at each other quizzically.

"I haven't," said Nightwing.

"Nor I," said Starfire.

"Is he still in bed?" asked Cyborg.

"Wouldn't surprise me," said Bumblebee.

"But he doesn't sleep late when Crystal has school," said Nightwing.

"Did you check his room, sweetie?" asked Bumblebee.

"Uh huh," Crystal nodded. "I've checked everywhere!"

"Maybe he has gone out," suggested Starfire.

"If he were going out this early he would've said something," said Cyborg. "I'll go look for him. Crystal, sit down and have some breakfast."

Crystal sighed and said, "Fine."

Raven felt strangely warm and comfortable. Her morning aches and pains were nonexistent and she actually felt quite content. She wasn't sure why this was and slowly opened her eyes as sleep left her. Her vision gradually focused and she discovered that Beast Boy's face was only inches away from her own, his arms still wrapped around her. She felt her heart race for a moment, but it quickly calmed back down. She saw that he was still fast asleep and looked quite comfortable. And she couldn't deny the fact that she felt the same. She smiled softly and closed her eyes, cuddling closer to him. Unconsciously, Beast Boy tightened his hold on her and nuzzled his face against her head.

Cyborg made his way through the tower, looking in all the usual places Beast Boy would normally be found. Oddly, he couldn't find him anywhere. For once, Crystal had been right and not just blowing things out of proportion. He finally decided to check in on Raven. For all he knew Beast Boy was in there bugging her about their wedding.

He made it to Ravens room and slowly slid the door open. He looked inside and was shocked to see two bodies lying in her bed. He quietly, or as quietly as he could, went in and discovered both Raven and Beast Boy fast asleep in a lovers embrace. As shocking as this was, he was actually quite relieved to see the two so close. They both looked quite content, which was something both had rarely been lately. He smiled and quietly exited the room, deciding to let them be in peace. He went back to the common room, where Crystal was impatiently waiting.

"Did you find him?" she asked.

"Yeah, don't worry, he's fine," he said. "I'll help you get ready this morning, okay?"

"Uh, I guess," Crystal shrugged. "Where is he?"

"Around," said Cyborg, simply. He knew if Crystal found out that her father and soon to be stepmother were lying fast asleep she'd run in there and disturb them. "Now eat up."

Crystal gave him a look then sighed and continued eating her breakfast. She hated it when the adults didn't tell her things, but she also knew that they wouldn't lie to her. Her father must have been around, but she sure didn't know where.

"Cyborg, where is he?" asked Nightwing, once he was sure Crystal wasn't listening.

"He and Rae are fast asleep," said Cyborg with a smile. "Together."

"Together?!" said Bumblebee. "Already?"

"They're just sleeping," Cyborg laughed. "Actually, they look quite cute all cuddled together. Y'all should get a look before they wake up."

"Please, how does Raven look?" asked Starfire, who had been informed that Raven was now suffering from heart failure.

"She looks fine," said Cyborg. "Actually, the two of them looked quite peaceful."

"Well, that's good," said Nightwing.

Beast Boy awoke to the smell of lilac and vanilla. He inhaled deeply and smiled; he knew that unique scent. It was Ravens. He then realized how strong it was and that only meant one thing; Raven was very close to him. He opened his eyes and, sure enough, Raven was practically pressed up against him. His face was nuzzled in between her head and the pillow. He pulled back a bit and looked at her, wanting to make sure she was alive. He saw her readjust herself as he moved away and this confirmed that she was still with him. He smiled and got comfortable once again. He inhaled her sweet scent deeply and sighed happily.

"I could get used to this," he said softly to himself.

"Me too," said Ravens soft voice.

Surprised that she was awake, he jumped slightly. "Oh, uh, I didn't know you were awake," he said, slightly embarrassed. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," she said with a soft smile. "You know, I kind of like this whole being engaged thing."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 16

"I can't believe I forgot about Crystal," said Beast Boy, covering his face with his hands. The adults were all now sitting at the kitchen table; Taye and Crystal were at school, Nicole was in her room playing, and the twins were still in bed. "I'm the worst father ever."

"Oh, please do not be upset," said Starfire. "You did the sleeping in; it is not a large deal."

"Yeah, but I always get her up and see her off," said Beast Boy. "She must hate me for abandoning her."

"Would you listen to yourself?" laughed Cyborg. "She doesn't hate you, man. She was a little confused, but she wasn't crying or anything."

"Yeah, it's probably a good thing you weren't holding her hand for once," said Nightwing. "She needs to learn that you're not going to be around all of the time."

"But, I mean, it's not like I was out on a mission or anything," said Beast Boy, who still felt horrible. "I was sleeping in late in a woman's bed! She's probably gonna need therapy now."

"Oh for heaven's sake," groaned Bumblebee. "She has no idea you were with Raven."

"She doesn't?" asked Beast Boy.

"Of course not!" said Bumblebee. "Like were we going to say, 'Sorry, sweetheart, but your daddy's currently preoccupied sleeping with his fiancé in his arms.' Give us a little credit."

"You saw us?" asked Raven, blushing.

"Don't worry, it was just me," said Cyborg.

"Oh, that makes me feel better," said Raven sarcastically, looking down in embarrassment, still coughing.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed about it," laughed Bumblebee. "That's what fiancés are supposed to do. I mean, yeah, you two haven't even kissed before, but, still, it's expected that you'd be together."

"Okay, how about we change the subject?" said Beast Boy, who was blushing just as Raven was. "Um… hey, we're gonna move Crystal into Ravens room today."

"Wow, you're okay with that?" Nightwing asked Raven.

"Of course _I'm_ okay with it," said Raven. "It's Crystal I'm worried about. I doubt she's going to like having to live with me for the rest of my life."

"No, it's only until we find a cure for you," said Beast Boy optimistically. "Besides, when she hears that we're repainting her room she's gonna flip. She's been begging me for this for at least a year."

"Raven, you are really going to try to keep a child with you at all times?" asked Starfire. "So that you feel well?"

"Not at _all_ times," said Raven. "That's unfair to everyone. Just most of the time."

"No, all of the time," said Beast Boy. "I want you around for as long as possible."

"Well, aren't you the selfish one," said Raven with a smirk. "Anyway, I actually feel pretty good right now and none of the kids are around me. Figure that out."

"Huh, that _is_ odd," said Nightwing.

"Great, there goes our theory!" said Cyborg, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Well, maybe your theory is only half right or something," said Beast Boy. "Or maybe Rae's actually getting better."

"Oh, do you really think so?" asked Starfire, hope beaming from her eyes.

"Uh, sorry to disappoint you, but I highly doubt that I'm getting better," said Raven. "It must be something else. Maybe it's my medication."

"I highly doubt _that_," said Cyborg, quietly aside.

It was a generally slow day, or as slow as slow days can be in the Titans tower. While Crystal was still in school they began moving her belongings into Ravens room. Raven even felt well enough to help and do some of the heavy lifting, even though Beast Boy was yelling at her to take it easy. Sure enough, an hour into it she began coughing and feeling dizzy and tired. Jack was immediately thrown at her and after a minute or two of holding him she did, indeed, feel energized and well again.

"Wow, I guess you're right," said Raven. "I really do feel better when I have a child near me."

"Guess that means that our theory is kinda right," said Cyborg.

"Now we just have to figure out why you felt good for a while this morning when none of the kids were around," said Nightwing.

"Well, I'm glad we have a way to keep you healthy," said Beast Boy as he began dragging Crystal's toy bin out of its corner. "Though, I don't understand why kids are your cure."

"Yes, I am most confused about that as well," said Starfire.

"I don't understand it either," Raven sighed. "But, I'm not about to question this good fortune. I have too little of it as it is."

"Ain't _that_ the truth," said Bumblebee.

Beast Boy dragged the toy bin to the door and into the hallway. As he went, toys began to spill out of it, which went unnoticed by him. Raven followed after him, Jack still resting on her hip, and picked up every single toy that spilled out; to Jack's delight. It wasn't until Beast Boy reached Ravens room and saw her standing behind him with her arms full of toys and baby Jack did he realize.

"Uh, is there a hole in this thing?" he asked, looking the toy bin over in confusion.

"No," said Raven, half chuckling and half sighing. "They fell out as you recklessly dragged it through the hall." She dropped the toys back in the bin and then readjusted Jack since her arms were growing tired.

"Thanks," said Beast Boy. "But you didn't have to pick them up. I could have gotten them on the way back."

"I know, but I wanted to help," said Raven. "I may be holding a baby but I can certainly still help out with this whole room moving business."

"I know, I just don't want you to tire yourself out is all," said Beast Boy.

"Don't worry," said Raven. "When I feel tired I promise I'll take a breather."

"Yeah, but you never admit when you're tired," Beast Boy laughed.

"That was before," Raven shrugged. "Now I feel comfortable enough to admit when I feel weak. Besides, I know you'd yell at me if I tired myself out."

"I wouldn't _yell_ at you," said Beast Boy. "More like scold you," he added with a smirk.

"Well, I'd rather appreciate it if you didn't," said Raven. "I'm an adult, Beast Boy, so you can treat me like one."

"Ha! When have you _not_ been an adult?" he laughed.

"Touché," said Raven, holding up a stuffed animal to Jack who giggled.

Beast Boy watched as Raven softly smiled as she entertained Jack and he couldn't help but feel himself smile as well. "I remember when Crystal was that little," he said. "She was the happiest baby. I would sit with her in my lap for hours with one toy and both of us would be entertained the entire time. That was probably the only time she's ever sat still. I can't even pay her to sit nowadays."

"I don't have a problem getting her to sit," said Raven. "I just show her a book and she's in my lap in an instant. Actually, the first time I was going to read to her she crawled into my lap on her own. She must have learned that from sitting with you."

"I guess," Beast Boy shrugged. "You know, she never once sat with Terra like that. Even when Terra actually wanted to spend time with her Crystal would always whine and crawl away from her. Then Terra would get pissed off and yell at her and call her a brat or something like that."

"Well, I don't approve of _that_," said Raven.

"You know, I know that Terra could be kinda self centered and immature sometimes, but the truth is, deep down, she just wanted to be loved," said Beast Boy in a softer tone.

"We all want that, Beast Boy," said Raven.

"Yeah, but I don't think I could ever give Terra the amount of love she wanted," said Beast Boy. "And she couldn't even get it out of Crystal. Her own daughter didn't love her enough."

"But she _did_ love her," said Raven.

"Yeah, but not nearly enough," said Beast Boy. "Terra needed to be doted upon and embraced constantly. I just don't know why I couldn't give her that. And it kills me that she died feeling like no one loved her."

"Of course she knew that she was loved," said Raven.

"I just… I feel like she can't rest in peace because of it," he said, softly. "I feel like because I couldn't love her the way she deserved her soul's never gonna rest. And that guilt is killing me inside."

She watched as his shoulders and his head dropped in sorrow. She had never really seen him like this before and she wasn't very comfortable with it. He was sad, but still, he wasn't really mourning; and that was what he needed to do. She couldn't stand seeing the toll all of this guilt was taking out on him.

"Beast Boy, you shouldn't be feeling any guilt," she said, plainly yet kindly. "You loved Terra as much as you possibly could and that should've been enough for her; just knowing that your entire heart was for her and her alone. And if that wasn't enough, then she should have started loving herself more. She only wanted and needed all of that love because she couldn't love herself."

"No, I wasn't loving her enough," he said, stubbornly. "I mean, maybe I spent too much attention on Crystal. If I had spent more attention on Terra then maybe she would've been happier and we could've stayed together and she wouldn't have tried to lead the team and she wouldn't have died. See? It's all my fault. Her death, the reason she was so unhappy, it was all my fault."

Raven looked at him, shocked. She couldn't believe that he felt it was all his fault. It was clear that he was still upset about losing Terra and he was thinking irrationally about it.

"If you could go back and do what you just said, ignore Crystal and love Terra more, would you?" she asked.

He sighed and said, "I don't know."

"And if you did do that and Terra was still around, do you think you'd be happy?" she asked.

He shrugged and said, "I don't know; I might be. I mean, if I was the kind of guy she needed then she'd be happy and I'd be happy that she was happy and… everything would be right."

"As apposed to right now, which is all wrong," said Raven plainly, a bit of bite in her voice.

Beast Boy sighed and took a seat on her bed. "I just feel like there was something I could've done to save her," he said, looking down. "She was the ultimate damsel in distress and I could never step up and save her. Every time I let her down. It's so hard for me to live with myself, as a man, knowing that."

Raven thought about this and then realized something. He was trying to save _her_ and make _her_ happy to somehow make up for the fact that he couldn't save Terra. He was using her as a replacement. This whole time when he said he wanted to make her happy, the fact was that he was trying to succeed where he failed so many times. He was still in grief and guilt; a very bad combination. She felt a pain in her chest as she realized all of this.

"I wish she could forgive me," he said, breaking her thoughts.

"Maybe _you're_ not the one who needs to be forgiven," said Raven, holding back her pain. As if, on cue, Jack began to fuss for the first time in Ravens care. She hushed him gently and tried to calm him, but it was clear she was in distress as well. "I-I'm going to take him to Starfire," she said and then quickly left the room.

She swiftly walked down the hallway back to Crystal's room, where the others still were. The moment she walked into the room they could all see that something was wrong. She handed Jack to Starfire and then practically ran out of there. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew she had to get out of there. Because she could feel tears and if there was one thing she would never let her friends see it was her tears.

She ran up to the roof and there she allowed her tears to fall. It wasn't long before Starfire and Bumblebee went up to make sure she was alright. They found her sitting in the corner of the roof, trying to breathe through a horrid coughing fit she'd gotten herself into.

"Um, Raven?" said Starfire. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying to calm her coughing fit.

"Come on, tell us what's going on," said Bumblebee, going to her.

"Really, I'm fine," said Raven, catching her breath.

"Please, Raven, tell us what is wrong," said Starfire. "You never tell us when you are upset and we only want the best for you."

"Yeah, so spill," said Bumblebee, getting comfortable.

Raven sighed and wiped the remnants of her tears away. "Well, Beast Boy started talking about Terra and…"


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 17

It wasn't long before Beast Boy had to go pick Crystal up from school. Of course, she immediately began asking question about his whereabouts that morning. He quickly thought of some random excuse and before she could ask him anything else told her that her room was being painted and she'd be staying with Raven. Needless to say, she no longer cared about where her father had been that morning.

They were soon back at the tower and Crystal went running off to see her now barren room. She then looked into Ravens room and saw all of her belongings crammed inside. And while Crystal looked around, Beast Boy went to see what everyone else was up to. He found Bumblebee alone in the common room, wiping the kitchen counter down.

"Hey, where is everyone?" he asked.

"NW's in the evidence room, Sparky's out getting parts for the T-car, Star's putting the twins down for a nap, and Raven's out," said Bumblebee.

"Out?" he said, surprised. "Out where? You let her go out alone? Does she at least have one of the kids with her?"

"No, she went out alone," said Bumblebee, a bit coldly to him.

"She's not supposed to do that!" he said, very concerned.

"Well, she needed to get out of here and be alone, so Star and me snuck her out," said Bumblebee. "By the way, she left something for you in your room."

"She did?" he said. "What is it?"

"How should I know," she said, shrugging in a fake voice. "Go see for yourself."

Beast Boy looked at her oddly and then headed for his room. He found Crystal sitting on Ravens bed happily reading to her self. She waved to him with a large smile and he waved back, glad to see her so happy with the situation. He went to his room and quickly looked around for anything Raven might have left him. He discovered that there was a note on his bed. He picked it up and under it laid the engagement ring.

_Beast Boy,_

_Thank you very much for offering to marry me, but I can't in good conscience follow through with it. It's clear that you're not over Terra's passing yet. You wish that she was still here and that she'd never died. And if that were the case then you never would've found me and I'd probably be dead by now. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be a damsel for you to save. I'm not going to be your replacement for Terra. It's quite apparent that you're still in love with her and you'll always be in love with her. I don't want things to be awkward between us, so let's just pretend none of this ever happened._

_-Raven_

Beast Boy felt completely in shock and looked at the engagement ring that lay on his bed, dumbstruck. He picked it up and looked at the note again. She thought that he was still in love with Terra? How could she think something like that? They'd broken up because they fell out of love years ago. And she thought he was trying to use her as a replacement? That was the last thing he'd ever think about doing. He had to find her and set everything straight.

He ran back to the common room and found Bumblebee sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine. He knew she knew what was going on and she knew where Raven was.

"Bee, where is she?" he asked bluntly.

"Why?" asked Bumblebee, not looking up from her magazine.

"I need to talk to her," he said.

"Why?" asked Bumblebee, turning a page.

"You know why," he said, his temper growing short.

"Well I'm not going tell you where she is," she said, still refusing to look at him.

"Why not?!" he said.

"Because she needs to be away from you right now, that's why," she said plainly. "And _you_ need to think about what the hell you want from her."

"I don't want anything from her!" he yelled. "I've never wanted anything from her. I just wanna make her happy."

"Oh, yeah, and she's just flipping happy right now," said Bumblebee sarcastically.

"Please, just tell me where she is," he said, growing tired. It had already been a long day and it didn't look like it was going to get any easier.

"No," she said. "She doesn't need or want you around her right now."

"But she thinks I'm still in love with Terra!" he exclaimed.

"Well, duh!" said Bumblebee. "It's pretty damn hard not to think that when you make claims about wishing she was still here and wanting to be with her."

"I didn't mean it like that, though," he said. "Look, just tell me where she is so I can explain everything."

"Beast Boy, I told you this whole marrying Raven thing was a bad idea," sighed Bumblebee. "Because I knew you'd do something stupid like this. Now she's hurting even more because of you."

"I know and I wanna fix this!" he said. "Now tell me where she is!"

"Prove to me that you deserve to talk to her again," said Bumblebee, putting her magazine aside. "Because if you go to her and make her feel even worse I'm going to get in trouble for giving away her hiding place. Now tell me why I should tell you where she is."

Beast Boy was grinding his teeth at this point he was so frustrated and angry. Why should he have to explain himself? He was sick of having to explain his actions. He was the one who found Raven, after all. He was the one who brought her back to the tower, made sure she was comfortable, and did everything he could to make sure she lived as long as possible. And yet, after all of that, they still didn't think he had her best interests at heart?

They stood there, staring each other down. And every second they spent standing there was a second that Raven was out there all alone. She could be really sick right now, passed out in an alley, and they wouldn't know. He wanted to know that she was alright. He wanted her back with him so he could protect her. He wanted to tell her that he wasn't in love with Terra.

"Bumblebee, please, I'm begging you," he said, growing desperate. "Tell me where she is."

"Tell me why I should tell you where she is," she repeated.

He felt his anger fading into panic as his mind raced. He realized that he could lose her after all this. After he'd fought so hard to get her to open up and fight to live, she may retreat once again. What would he do? He couldn't let that happen. Raven had helped him become more like his old fun loving self. She'd become a mother to Crystal. She was everything he'd ever wanted. And that's when he made a realization.

"I… I'm in love with her," he said. "I've fallen in love with her."

Bumblebee was taken back and she looked at him queerly. "You're… You're in love with her?" she said, shocked.

"I… yeah, I am," he said, a small laugh coming through his still shocked exterior. "I'm in love with her."

"Are ya sure?" asked Bumblebee, actually interested in what he had to say now. "I mean… really?"

"Yeah, really," he said, smiling. "I'm in love with her. It's all clear to me; it's finally clear to me! Ever since she's comeback into our lives, back into _my_ life, I've felt like she's filled a void inside of me; inside of my heart. A void that Terra left and had never actually filled. That's why I wanna make things right. I wanna marry her not just because I wanna make her happy but because I… I love her."

"Awe," said Bumblebee, fanning her face with her hands. "You're gonna make me cry, Beast Boy."

"So… can you tell me where she is now?" he asked.

Bumblebee took in a few deep breaths and said, "She's at the library, you moron. Where else would she be if she wasn't in the tower?"

"Ugh, of course!" he said, slapping his head. "Thanks! Keep an eye on Crystal for me!" And with that he ran out of there.

"Good luck you green Casanova," said Bumblebee, shaking her head.

He literally flew to the library as quickly as he could. He dodged many birds like himself and within minutes had made it. He quickly turned back to his human form, dropped onto the steps of the library, and ran inside.

As usual, the library was just as quiet as usual. He was tempted to call her name out as loudly as he could, but then decided against it. She was mad enough at him; if he destroyed the sanctity of the library she'd never forgive him. So he kept his mouth shut and began running all around looking for her. He checked the children's section, but she wasn't there. He'd hoped she would be, for that meant she'd be feeling well. Since she wasn't, he decided to just wait a moment and listen. Sure enough, he heard sharp cough echo throughout the large building and, with his keen hearing, he followed it.

He found her upstairs, sitting in a large chair, reading. He immediately felt relieved and went to her. She looked tired and he could even detect a bit of sadness in her face. Her hand stayed near her mouth, ready to cover it if she began to cough once again. He quickly went to her, smiling.

"There you are," he said.

She looked up and seemed shocked to see him. She then frowned and said, "What're you doing here?"

"Well, I'm here to set the record straight," he said and reached into his pocket. He took the engagement ring out and held it out to her. "And to give this back to you."

She looked at it and then looked back into her book. "I don't want it," she said, plainly.

"Fair enough," he said, withdrawing his hand and crouching down in front of her. "So, can we talk?"

"I don't feel like talking," she said, coldly.

"I know, but I do," he said. "So you just have to listen."

"Beast Boy, I'm in no mood to listen to you make excuses and try to defend your character," she sighed. "And who told you I was here?"

"I figured it out," he lied. "I mean, where else would you go? Now, listen, I'm sorry if you got the impression that I'm still in love with Terra; I'm not. I haven't been in love with her for some time. And when I said that I wished she was still alive, I only said that because I feel so guilty. I didn't mean that I wished I'd never found you and that you died all alone. I'd think you'd know that by now."

"Well, evidently, I don't," she said, her mood never changing. "And how can you say that you're not in love with Terra? You said you'd give anything to change what had happened so that she could be alive. You'd be willing to neglect Crystal just to give Terra what she'd wanted."

"I wasn't thinking when I said that, I admit it," he sighed. "Because if I was really willing to do something like that I would have done it. But, I chose to be with Crystal and spend more of my time on her than Terra. I only said that I'd change things because of the guilt I feel, not because it'd be right."

"Then you need to get rid of the guilt before you say something else stupid," said Raven, plainly. "God forbid Crystal heard you make such claims and make her feel like it's _her_ fault her mother's dead."

Beast Boy was quiet for a moment then said, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Where is she, by the way?" asked Raven, looking back into her book. "I sure hope she's safe with you not around."

"Oh no, you're not pulling that manipulative act again," said Beast Boy, firmly. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. I came here to make amends."

"Beast Boy, you need help and you need to heal before we can do anything like that," said Raven, desperately. "The wounds of your heart are still fresh and this guilt is only letting them remain open and they're festering. I don't know what you should do, but something has to be done. You're never going to be able to move on in your life if you don't heal."

"I want to heal," he said, moving a little closer to her. "I want to get rid of all of this guilt inside of me. I just… I don't know how. All of my life I've kept all the guilt I've felt hidden behind my happy-go-lucky attitude just so I wouldn't have to deal with it. And now that I have to deal with it I'm not sure what to do."

"Then you need to figure it out," she said, closing her book. She shakily stood up, to which he rose as well, and pushed past him. She threw her book on a cart that was full of other books and made her way down the stairs.

Beast Boy's first instinct was to run after her, but he stopped himself. He stood there near the chair she'd been sitting in and watched as she went down the stairs and made her way out of the library. He wasn't sure how she was going to get home, since Bumblebee and Star had dropped her off, but he knew if he tried to help her she'd refuse. So, he was going to throw caution to the wind and let her go off on her own.

Besides, he realized he had to take care of something.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 18

By now the grass had grown in and her grave looked no different than any of the other hundreds of graves that lay in the cemetery. Her tombstone still shined when the sun shown upon its glazed finish; the dark lettering still crisp. There was a beautiful engraving of her picture upon the stone that made her look sweet and angelic; as she had often looked.

_Tara 'Terra' Markov_

_Beloved Hero_

_Killed in Action_

He stood looking at the words, his hands in his pockets. He hated that they had had her picture engraved into the tombstone. It wasn't that it didn't do her justice, it certainly did, but seeing her looking so happy and so innocent made him only think of the great times they'd had together. Their first meeting, the first time they flirted with each other, the games they played and the laughs they shared. They all came flooding back to him as he looked upon the engraving. He had loved her; he couldn't deny that fact. And he did still love her, but he wasn't in love with her. Their love had always been fueled by lust and fun times. But that was really as deep as it went. Sure, Terra was the first to truly understand him, but only to a certain point.

He sighed and crouched down, reaching out and running his hand over the cool tombstone. He traced the letters and said a silent prayer. He hoped she was doing alright and was at peace. He really bore no ill thoughts towards her. He leaned back a bit so that he could sit down upon the fully grown in grass. He looked around and let the silence of the cemetery consume him, allowing him to relax a bit. Finally he took in a deep breath and began.

"Uh, hi Terra," he said to her stone. "Sorry it's taken me so long to come visit you. I've been… kinda busy. Anyway, I really hope you're okay wherever you are. Crystal's doing fine. She's reading really well now and she's as happy as ever. I should probably bring her by sometime. I think she'd like that. And I don't want her to grow up and resent me for never taking her to visit you.

"So… um… I guess you're probably wondering why I'm here. I think I should confess that it wasn't to visit you. I'm here because… well… I need to get over you. And what I mean is that I need to get over what happened. I know we never really parted on good terms but I never would've wished any harm on you. You were a kind, sweet, beautiful person and I would've put my life on the line to protect you, you know that. But, the fact is, you wouldn't have done the same for me. You never felt like you had to protect anyone but yourself. And I think that's why you never worked well with the group. You weren't selfish, Terra, you were just too independent for your own good.

"But that's just an excuse. And I've noticed that whenever someone talks about you I think of every excuse I can to keep myself in denial over what you did and the fact that you're really gone. And these past couple months I've been praying and asking for your forgiveness for not being the man you needed and wanted me to be. I wanted you to forgive me for letting you die the way you did. And, most of all, I wanted you to forgive me for never being able to save you from yourself.

"And then Raven said something this morning that I'd forgotten about until a few minutes ago. She said that maybe I wasn't the one who needed to be forgiven. I wasn't really sure what she meant, but now I do. All of this guilt inside of me is there because I've believed everything was my fault. But I've finally realized that… you weren't perfect; you _did_ have flaws. You lied a few times about your control over your powers, you didn't care for your own daughter all that much, you toyed with my heart far more than I could handle, you sold us out twice and, in the end, you died because of your own actions. So, Terra, I… I… I forgive you."

And, just like that, he felt a heavy weight lift off of him. Not from his shoulders, but from his heart. All of that sickeningly dark guilt that had been infecting his soul all these months was finally gone. He truly felt transformed. A light breeze blew and he inhaled the clean air deeply.

"I forgive you," he said again, and felt even better. "And all I can do is hope that you've forgiven me; whether there's a reason for you to or not. I forgive you and now I think I can start a new chapter in my life. You see, I've kinda fallen in love. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I think it'll do me, if not the both of us, some good. I'm in love and I'm ready to start my life up again. You'll always be with me, cuz I'll always have Crystal, and you'll always be in my heart. I just hope you can watch over us and protect us."

And with that he stood up, wiped the grass and dirt from his behind, then kissed his palm and placed it upon the tombstone. After a moment he took his hand away, turned, and headed out of the cemetery. He felt lighter than air; as if he'd just woken up from some sort of nightmare. He was ready to live now. He was ready to take on anything.

Raven had taken a cab to the edge of the city that overlooked the bay and Titans tower. From there she contact Starfire who came and flew her the rest of the way. Once home she immediately went to bed to take a nap. She was quite tired and, truth be told, wasn't feeling very well. She's been separated from children for too long. And, at this point, she didn't want to hold one of the kids for a few minutes and feel better. She just wanted to rest.

She went to her room and was surprised to see Crystal sitting on her, Raven's, bed playing with her dolls. The little girl looked up and smiled widely upon seeing who she still thought to be her soon to be new mommy. Raven could tell she was her father's daughter by that smile alone. He'd flashed it at her too many times for her not to see the resemblance.

"Hi mommy-Raven!" she said cheerfully. "You wanna play with me?"

"Sorry, I'm a little too tired to play," she said. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Aw, does that mean I can't play on your bed?" said Crystal with a pout.

"Unfortunately," said Raven, walking over to the bed.

"But I like playing here," she whined. "Why can't you sleep on my bed?"

"Why can't you play on your bed?" Raven countered.

"Cuz I told you!" said Crystal. "I like playing _here_."

"Crystal, I'm not sleeping in your bed," said Raven. "It's too small for me."

"Then go sleep in daddy's bed," said Crystal. "That's big enough for two people!"

Raven sighed and already felt her strength returning. She really did want to take a nap, though. "I'm not going to take a nap in your father's bed," she said firmly. "Now please remove your dolls so that I may lie down. Why don't you go play in the playroom?"

"Cuz Taye's in there and he always tries to steal my dolls and feed them to his robots and dinosaurs," said Crystal.

"Then tell him not to," said Raven.

"I do, but he never listens!" said Crystal. "One time he killed Jessica!"

"Jessica?" asked Raven.

"Yeah, my doll Jessica," said Crystal, beginning to tear up. "She was my favorite and he gave it to his robot and her hair got stuck in its clampy arm and it tore her head off! Uncle Cyborg tried to put her head back on but when he did her neck was too small and she looked weird."

"Do you want me to ask Taye to leave so you can play?" asked Raven.

"No, I wanna play here," said Crystal.

"But you can't play here," said Raven. "You need to play somewhere else."

"But I don't wanna," Crystal pouted again. "I like playing here."

"Why?" asked Raven.

"I don't know," she shrugged, fiddling with one of her dolls. "I just like it here. Your room's comfy."

"Comfy?" said Raven, nearly laughing but holding it in. "I think you're the first to ever say that my room is comfy."

"Well it is," said Crystal. "I like being in here. And… I like being near you."

"You do?" said Raven.

"Yeah," said Crystal. "You make me feel like I feel when my daddy's around."

Raven looked at the little girl before her and realized that she really did love her like a mother. She felt safe when she was with Raven, something Raven wasn't sure anyone could ever feel when around her. And she could see that the little girl was actually afraid of being away from Raven for too long. Terra had never spent much time with her and now Crystal was scared that Raven would leave her as well. Raven knew exactly what it was like to have to watch your mother from afar and never have her show any compassion towards you. She made a vow then and there; she would never be like her mother or Terra.

"Alright, I'll make a deal with you," said Raven with a soft smile. "If I let you play on my bed will you promise that tonight you'll read me a story?"

"_Me_ read _you_ a story?" said Crystal. "Like, a _whole _story?"

"Yes," said Raven, nodding.

Crystal thought about this for a moment and smiled. "Deal!" she said.

"Okay," said Raven, taking the little girl's hand and shaking it. She then sighed and got up off her bed. "Guess that means I've got to find somewhere else to nap."

"Sleep in daddy's bed," said Crystal. "It's _really_ comfy."

"Is it _really_ smelly?" asked Raven.

"No," Crystal laughed.

"Fine," she sighed. "It's the last place he'll look for me anyway. If he asks don't tell him where I am."

"Why?" asked Crystal.

"We're playing a game," she fibbed. "And if you tell him I'll kick you out of my bed and the deal is off."

"Okay," she said with a smile and pretended to zip her lips.

Raven gave her a small smile and then exited her room; not before grabbing her pillow and a clean bed sheet from her draw. And now she made her way to Beast Boy's room. She prayed he'd never find out about this or she'd never hear the end of it. Hell, she hoped no one would find out about this. But, knowing Crystal, she doubted it'd stay a secret for all. She just hoped the little girl would forget about the whole deal.

She made it to his room and slid his door open, bracing herself for a wave of smell, as she often had years before. Oddly, it never came and it turned out Crystal had told the truth. She walked inside and, other than a few clothing articles on the floor, it was pretty clean.

She saw his bed and noticed that it wasn't made; not that she had expected it to be. She roughly made it and then spread her clean sheet over it. She threw her pillow onto it and then climbed on. She lied down on her stomach and let her body finally relax. All of her tense muscles released and she felt relief immediately. She sighed and slowly slipped into sleep.

Beast Boy came home feeling like a new man. All this time he refused to believe that anything could help the guilt he felt inside. And now that it was gone he felt like he'd been an idiot not to have realized it sooner. He couldn't wait to talk to Raven and tell her everything.

He arrived in the common room and saw Starfire cooking in the kitchen while Cyborg was setting the table. Jack and Eric were already in their seats and being entertained by Bumblebee. Nightwing was on the couch watching the news, making sure he never missed anything that was going on in the world, and Nicole was coloring in a coloring book on the coffee table.

"Hey, there you are," said Cyborg. "Where've ya been, man?"

"I had some stuff to do," he said nonchalantly. "Do you know where Raven is?"

"Ooh, he wants to know where Raven is before Crystal?" teased Cyborg. "I think B's gotta crush!"

"Would you leave him alone?" said Bumblebee, slapping her husband in the back of the head.

"Ow! Hey, I was only kiddin!" said Cyborg, rubbing his head.

"I brought her home one hour ago," said Starfire. "I do not know where she is now."

"Okay, anyone know where Crystal is, then?" he asked.

"Around," said Nightwing from the couch.

"A lot of help you guys are," said Beast Boy and he headed out of there. 'Okay, there're only a few places my girls could be,' he thought to himself. He smiled as he thought this. He liked thinking of Crystal and Raven as his girls. He did love them both, of course. But he knew if he ever called them that allowed Raven would object immediately.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 19

After running into Taye in the playroom he learned that Crystal was in Ravens room, so he headed off in that direction. He guessed that Raven was probably in there, since she wasn't likely to be found anywhere else. He made it to her room, slid the door open, looked inside, and saw Crystal happily playing with her dolls on Ravens bed. There was no Raven.

"Hi daddy!" Crystal beamed.

"Hey," he smiled. "Having fun?"

"Yeah," she giggled.

"You certainly look like you've made yourself at home," he said, looking around and seeing all of his daughter's belongings strewn about the room. He was pretty sure Ravens room had never been this messy before. "So where's mommy-Raven?"

"She's… uh…" Crystal began, but then remembered she wasn't to tell her father where she was. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" he chuckled. "It looked like you knew for a second there."

"Nope," said Crystal, shaking her head.

"Huh, okay then," he said, not believing her. "I really wish I knew where she was though. I wanted to give you this present I got you. I had her hide it so you wouldn't find it, so she's the only one who knows where it is. Oh well."

"Ha! There's no present," said the smart little Logan.

"Yeah, there is," said Beast Boy. "At least, there was. Guess I'll just have to wait and give it to you tomorrow."

"Wait… is there _really_ a present?" asked Crystal.

"Oh yeah," said Beast Boy with a smile. "A big one, too."

"H-How big?" asked Crystal, her eyes going wide.

"Oh, _real_ big," he said. "And I bet Nicole would do anything to have what I got you. Hmm… maybe I'll give it to her instead when I find it. She'd never lie to me."

"I've never lied!" shouted Crystal, standing up on the bed in protest. "Never ever!"

"So you're telling me the truth then?" asked Beast Boy. "You don't know where your mommy is?"

"W-Well, I know where she is," said Crystal, twiddling her fingers. "I just… I can't tell you. I promised."

"Can you give me a hint?" asked Beast Boy.

"Uh, okay," said Crystal and she went into deep thought. She then smiled and said, "Okay, here's a hint. She's not not in your room."

"She's not _not_ in my room?" he repeated.

"Yup," she beamed.

"Ah, okay," he said, smiling. "Thanks." And with that he went to leave.

"Daddy!" she screamed after him.

"What?" he said.

"When will I get my present?" asked Crystal.

"After dinner," he said. "Now go eat." Crystal leapt off of the bed, ran out of the room before him, and bolted down the hall. "Don't run for the hundredth time!" he yelled and then headed for his room. 'What in the world is Raven doing in my room?' he thought to himself as he walked.

He made it to his room and slid his door aside, peaking in. He was quite surprised to see Raven passed out on his bed, which was covered with a sheet. He really wanted to know what had happened to end up with her sleeping in his room, but he'd ask questions later. He quietly made his way into the room and closed the door behind him. He crept over to the bed and lay down next to her so they were face to face.

She was completely out, that was for sure. Her mouth was slightly open and her whole body was relaxed. He had to laugh at himself, for he never thought he'd seen someone so beautiful before. And she was beautiful; in every sense of the word. Beautiful on the inside and out; she was the whole package.

She began to inwardly cough, but it soon escalated and she was coughing horribly. This brought her right out of her sleep and she moaned. She held her head as a headache infected her and she decided it was time to do some babysitting so she could feel better. She jumped as she felt a hand rest on her back.

"You okay?" said Beast Boy.

She sharply turned and saw who it was. She then sighed and collapsed back into the bed. "I knew she wouldn't keep her little mouth shut," she said.

"It wasn't her fault, I tricked it out of her," he chuckled. "So, what're you doing in here?"

"It's a long story," said Raven. "Basically Crystal refused to leave my bed and in the end I was forced to find somewhere else to sleep."

"But why _my_ bed?" he asked.

"Crystal's suggestion," said Raven. "And that's the _only_ reason."

He laughed and gently laid his hand on her back. He softly began to rub lazy circles to which she sighed and snuggled into her pillow a bit more. She knew she was still mad at him, but she couldn't deny that her tired body liked the comforting attention he was giving her.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Not very good," she admitted. "My head's killing me and I feel a bit sick."

"Well that's not good," he said. "Do you want anything?"

"For you to leave me alone," she groaned. "But I doubt that'll ever happen."

He chuckled and said, "Sorry, nope. But, hey, I've got some good news. After our little conversation at the library I decided that you were right."

"Okay, I'm listening," said Raven.

"I did need to heal and I needed to get over everything that'd happened," he said. "So, when you left I decided to go visit her."

"Visit who?" asked Raven.

"Terra," said Beast Boy. "I went to her grave."

Upon hearing this, Raven actually raised herself up so that she was no longer smothering herself into the pillow. "You went to her grave?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I did," he said with a small smile.

"What did you do?" she asked, curiously. She really couldn't believe that he'd gone to visit Terra's grave. He was so in denial over everything and inwardly beating himself over it that she was sure he'd never visit her grave because he'd refuse to believe that it even existed. This really was a big step and she had to admire his courage to finally face what had happened.

"Well, I sat down and basically said everything that was on my mind," said Beast Boy. "And then I did something I never thought of doing. Actually, it's something you kinda suggested this morning."

"What?" asked Raven.

"I forgave her," he said with a smile. "I forgave her for everything that happened and all that she did. And you know what? I feel… good. I feel so much better."

"Really?" asked Raven. "You think it helped you?"

"Yeah, I really think it did," said Beast Boy. "Everything you've been saying this whole time, it finally makes sense now. And I feel like I can finally, you know, move on with my life now. So… thank you."

"For what?" asked Raven.

"For pushing me," said Beast Boy. "And for giving me a reason to move on."

She looked at him oddly and said, "I've given you a reason to move on?"

He sighed and said, "Uh, well, that's kinda something I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to tell you earlier, but you didn't really wanna talk to me."

"Tell me what?" she asked.

"Well I can't just come out and say it," he said with a soft laugh.

"I can't see why not," she said.

"Oh, you will when I say it," he said, fiddling with the sheet.

"Beast Boy, will you please tell me what it is?" Raven sighed, rubbing her temples. "My head is throbbing and I feel sick."

"Trust me, I totally want to, but, even at my age, saying something like this is hard," he said. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"I need to be with one of the kids," she said. "I won't feel well again until I do."

"Well, I'll try to say this as quickly as I can, I guess," he said. "Rae, ever since you came back into my life I couldn't help but notice that you've filled a void in it that I wasn't even aware was there. You might not believe it, but you've actually had an impact in all of our lives. Especially Crystal's; and I can't thank you enough for that. You don't realize how much you mean to all of us. We all love you. But, I think you should know that I've discovered that I don't just love you. I've kinda fallen… _in_ love with you."

The look that grabbed Ravens face was absolutely priceless. She looked confused, skeptical, and a bit shocked. She sat completely up and faced him, her legs crossed. "Beast Boy, why on Earth would you say something like that to me?" she said, her brow furrowing and a frown forming upon her lips. "Do you really think saying that you're in love with me would make me want to reconsider everything?"

"What? No, I really am!" he said quickly, sitting up as well. "I'm in love with you, Rae."

"Azar, and here I thought you'd actually taken a step in the right direction," she said, shaking her head as she began to crawl off of his bed. "But, again, you're using me as a replacement." She began coughing and held her chest for a moment until the pain subsided.

"I'm not using you as a replacement for anything!" he objected. "Why do you always think that what I feel is never genuinely for you?"

"Because it's not!" said Raven. "No one's ever felt genuine feelings for me and I can assure you that no one ever will. I can't believe you would try to pull something like that over on me. I thought you were better than that, Beast Boy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit with Crystal before I pass out from pain." She turned to leave, but Beast Boy lunged across the bed and grabbed hold of her hand.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" he said, desperately. "That I would try to trick you by using words that have so much weight and meaning? Raven, I _am_ better than that. I'd never do something like that and shame on _you_ for thinking that I would. I know that no one's ever had feelings like this for you before but I really do. I'm in love with you."

Raven sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, letting a few more coughs escape her lips. "How can you possibly be in love with me?" she asked softly after clearing her throat. "What the hell is there to love?"

"Everything," he replied just as softly and moved closer to her. "There's everything to love about you. You're one of a kind and I know that if there were more people like you the world would be a damn nice place to live in. You're smart, selfless, kind, nurturing, talented, beautiful on the inside, and stunning on the outside. There's nothing about you I don't love; not even the fact that you still yell and snap at me like the old times. And I know that you don't love me and that's fine. I'm going to keep loving you nonetheless and I'll never expect anything in return."

Raven was visibly shaking at this point; her hands were gripping the mattress so tightly that her knuckles were white. "I don't know where you got all of those silly ideas about me," she said, her voice nearly brimming with tears. "But let me set the record straight for you. I'm not selfless or talented or beautiful or anything else that you said. I'm selfish, bitter, grumpy, and I hate the world and myself. So you go ahead and keep loving me for whatever ridiculous reasons you have, but let me assure you that living your life every day in denial is not going to end well for you." She then stood up, her knees nearly buckling from her weakened state, and took a step towards the door.

"Did you ever think that maybe _I'm_ not the one in denial here," he said.

Raven stopped and thought about this for a moment. She then quickly continued on her way and was soon out of his room, his door closed behind her. She walked back towards her own room and let his words bounce around in her mind. This had been, without a doubt, one of the longest days of her life. And it was also the first day in a long while that she felt this sick, weak, and actually upset. Her whole system felt like a flurry of activity. She suddenly felt that familiar feeling in her throat and she prepared herself for a coughing fit. And once she started she knew it was hard to stop. Within seconds she was choking up a storm and had to leaning against the wall, lest she lose her balance and fall to the floor. Her dry, rough coughs echoed throughout the hallway like bells of soon to be doom.

When she finally finished she pushed herself off of the wall and attempted to stand up and continue on her way. But the moment she was off of the wall she felt herself become lightheaded and dizzy. The next thing she knew everything around her was fading away into darkness and the last thing she felt was her body slamming against the cool rug of the hallway.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 20

The adults had never seen Crystal eat so fast before without a single complaint. Even Taye and Nicole watched her oddly and couldn't help ignoring their own plates of food. After nearly choking twice she was done and ran back towards her room where she expected to be rewarded with her big present her father had promised her.

She skipped down the hall, happily humming to herself as her mind raced with theories on what her present could be. She turned the corner and a few yards ahead of her she saw Raven on the floor. She stopped her skipping and humming immediately and tried to figure out what it was she was seeing.

"Mommy-Raven?" she said. She waited for Raven to acknowledge her, but nothing came. She simply lay still on the floor. Slowly and cautiously Crystal made her way to Raven, her little heart racing with fear and confusion. "M-Mommy-Raven?"

She reached the woman on the floor, who had still not moved, and studied her for a moment. She appeared to be only sleeping. Crystal got down on her knees and began to shake Raven, in an attempt to wake her up. But it wasn't working. Scared and fearful that she was dead, Crystal screamed at the top of her lungs, "Daddy! Help!"

Within seconds Beast Boy had exploded from his room and looking around for where he'd heard his daughter's distress call. He looked down the hall and only a few feet in front of him kneeled Crystal over Ravens unconscious body. His stomach dropped and he ran over to the two.

"Crystal, what happened?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," said the little girl on the verge of tears. "I found her on the floor and she won't wake up. I-Is she dead?"

Before he could actually answer her, he had to check Ravens vitals. He placed his ear next to her lips and felt a soft breath. She was breathing, she was still alive. "No, she's not dead, sweetheart. She's just fainted, that's all. Go get the adults for me, okay?"

"O-Okay," she said, jumped to her feet, and bolted down the hall. It was the first time her father didn't yell after her not to run. And that only scared her more.

Beast Boy began softly slapping each of Ravens cheeks, trying to bring her back. "Raven?" he said. "Raven, can you hear me? Come on, Rae, you gotta come back to me." Just when he believed she wasn't coming back she suddenly began to fidget and moaned. He quickly felt relieved and held her cheek in his hand. "Raven, can you hear me?"

She groaned again and attempted to open her eyes. Slowly they fluttered open and she dizzily looked around. She felt very confused, as she often did after she'd fainted, and couldn't help wanting to cry from confusion and embarrassment.

"Hey, it's okay," said Beast Boy comfortingly as he watched tears form in Ravens eyes. "You're gonna be fine. Do you know where you are right now?"

"No," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Her tears coursed down the side of her face, tickling and pooling in her ears.

"Yes you do," he said, wiping her tears away. "Take in a deep breath. Come on, I'll do it with you." He inhaled deeply and prompted her to do the same. After a few tries she did manage to breath with him and soon she looked a bit less hysterical. "Okay, do you know where you are?"

"The tower?" she said as more of a question than an answer.

"Good girl," he said, holding her hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it gently, soothingly caressing her cheek with his other hand.

Suddenly Crystal came running back down the hall with the rest of the adults behind her. Raven was quickly picked up and brought to the med bay so they could make sure she was okay. Beast Boy decided to let the others take care of checking her vitals so that he could calm and comfort Crystal, who was still very upset.

They were in Ravens room, and Crystal's for the time being, sitting on her bed. She sat in his lap and he held her close to make her feel safe and comfortable. It was very rare that Crystal ever got this shaken up about anything, so this truly concerned him.

"Is she gonna be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," he said, kissing her head.

"Why'd she faint?" she asked.

He sighed and said, "Because she's sick."

"She's sick?" she asked. "What does she have? Is it a cold?"

"No, it's a little more serious than a cold," he said, sadness dripping from his words. "But we're doing everything we can to make her better, don't you worry."

Crystal sighed and said, "I'm supposed to read her a story tonight all on my own."

"You are?" he said.

"Yeah," she nodded. "She said that I could play on her bed if I'd read her a story tonight."

"Well, let me check on her and if she's feeling better you can still read to her, okay?" he said.

"Okay," she said.

A little while later Beast Boy went to check on Raven. But, before he got to see her, he was taken aside by Cyborg and Nightwing. This never meant anything good and he prepared himself for the worst.

"So, how bad is it?" he asked.

"Her health's declined significantly since the last time we checked her," said Nightwing.

"Which means her ability to be away from the kids and be alright is weakenin," said Cyborg.

"How is she now?" asked Beast Boy.

"Pretty stable," said Nightwing. "We gave her Eric and the two are sleeping right now."

"Can I see her?" he asked.

"If you want to," said Cyborg. "She's _your_ fiancé."

"Not at the moment," he said lowly and walked past them to enter the med bay. He looked around and saw Raven lying in one of the beds, Eric fast asleep on her chest, sucking on a pacifier. Her hand was resting on his little back and the two looked quite content. He sighed and walked over to her bed. He took a seat next to her and relaxed for a moment. He was so tired.

"You should go to bed," said Raven, causing him to jump. "I'll be fine."

"I didn't know you were awake," he said. "How do you feel?"

"Better now," she said. "I feel like an idiot for allowing myself to get to the point of fainting, though."

"Well, you're okay now and that's what matters," said Beast Boy. "Crystal said that you had a deal that she was going to read to you tonight. Think you're up for it?"

"If she is," said Raven. "Besides, I think Eric should be put into his own bed."

"Alright, I'll take him and send Crystal in," said Beast Boy, gently taking the sleeping babe off of Raven. "Think you can last being alone for a minute."

"I hope so," she said.

"I'll be right back," he said and quickly exited, without waking little Eric of course. He went to Ravens room and informed Crystal that if she wanted to read she had to go right now. The little girl quickly grabbed a book and headed for the med bay while her father went to put the baby boy down with his brother in their room.

Crystal was very quiet and cautious as she entered the med bay. She wasn't sure what she would find inside. Now that she knew that Raven was sick she felt like she had to be careful around her. She peaked inside and saw Raven sitting in a bed, waiting for her. She retracted for a moment and wondered if she really should go in.

"Since when are you shy?" Raven laughed softly.

She peaked around the door again and saw Raven looking right at her. She walked in more and slowly made her way to the bed. "I'm not shy," said Crystal. "I wasn't sure if you were okay, that's all."

"Don't worry, I'm alright now," she said with a small smile. "So, what story are you going to read to me?"

"Thumbelina," said Crystal, her mood beginning to lighten up a bit now. She made it to Ravens bed and gladly climbed right up and sat down in her lap. "We haven't read it in a while."

"Alright, begin when you're ready," said Raven.

Beast Boy soon returned and saw the two deeply absorbed in the book. He took a seat next to the bed once more and settled in to listen to Crystal read. He couldn't believe how much better she'd gotten already. She was reading very smoothly and only stumbled over a few words and never once asked for help. He looked to Raven to help her when she was having trouble, but she didn't. She simply waited patiently and allowed the little girl to figure it out on her own. Beast Boy knew that if it were him instead of Raven he would be helping her with every single word to make it easier for her. Raven was definitely a good teacher.

"…The End," read Crystal at last.

"Wow, that's a really good story," said Beast Boy. "I forgot how good fairytales could be."

"Leave it to you to actually be entertained by a children's story," said Raven, rolling her eyes. "Thank you very much for reading to me, Crystal." She kissed the little girl on the head and hugged her close.

"You're welcome," said Crystal with a smile and got comfortable leaning against Raven, since she was still sitting in her lap.

"Okay, bedtime," said Beast Boy, standing up.

"Do I have to go to bed?" asked Crystal.

"Of course you do," said Beast Boy. "You have school tomorrow."

"And I'm going to sleep, too," said Raven.

"Can't I stay here?" she asked, turning around and cuddling against Raven. "I wanna sleep with you tonight." She wrapped her arms around Raven and laid her head on her shoulder. It was clear that she was still shaken up about what'd happened and just wanted to be with Raven a while longer to make sure she really was alright and wasn't going to leave her.

"Rae, what do you think?" asked Beast Boy. He had learned that when it came to Crystal and Raven, Raven was in charge of making the decisions, not he.

"I don't mind her staying with me," she said, rubbing the little girl's back comfortingly. "I just wish there was more room in this bed. Why do they have to be so narrow? Actually, I wish I could just sleep in my own bed."

"I wish you could too, but we gotta monitor your heart for while," said Beast Boy. "But, I think I can help make the bed a bit bigger."

"How?" asked Raven.

"Just watch," he said with a smile. He went to the other side of her bed and took the railing down. He then went to the bed that was next to her and took down one of the railings as well and then pushed the bed next to Ravens. "There you go; one doublewide hospital bed."

"Now there's lots of room!" said Crystal with a smile and she rolled off of Raven and onto the other bed.

"That gap doesn't look all that comfortable," said Raven, looking between the beds and seeing the unpadded middle where they met.

"Not a problem," said Beast Boy. He grabbed a few pillows from the other two beds and then laid them down the middle where the gap was. "There, now you're all set."

"This is perfect," said Crystal happily.

"Why don't you go get your pajamas on?" suggested Raven.

"Okay, I'll be right back," she said and jumped off of the bed and right into her father's arms.

"Do you need anything while I'm up?" asked Beast Boy.

"I'd love some warm milk," said Raven, relaxing against her pillow. "I never had dinner and I think it'd hit the spot."

"You got it," he said with a smile and with that he and Crystal exited the med bay.

A few minutes later the two returned. Crystal was in her best nightgown with her favorite doll in hand and gladly climbed back into bed with Raven. Beast Boy had three warm milks, one was soy of course, and once Crystal was settled in dispensed them accordingly.

"Daddy, why don't you come sit here?" asked Crystal, patting the bed.

"Uh, I don't think I'm welcome," said Beast Boy with a sad chuckle.

"Why not?" asked Crystal, innocently. "Mommy-Raven doesn't mind, right?"

She looked to Raven, who looked to Beast Boy. Their eyes met and an odd feeling passed between them. Raven could see how much Beast Boy really did want to stay with them, but he knew she'd never let him. He believed her to still be mad at him.

At last she sighed and said, "No, I don't mind."

Surprised, he gave her an odd look. For a moment he believed he'd heard wrong but then he saw her giving him a small shadow of a smile. He smiled back and crawled in next to the two girls. The three gladly sipped their warm milks and then settled in for sleep. Well, Beast Boy planned on leaving once Crystal was asleep. But soon the exhaustion of the day caught up with him and before long all three were fast asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 21

They were quite a sight to see, that was for sure. While they slept everyone made their way inside the med bay to get a glimpse. Cameras were snuck in and silent pictures were taken so that this moment in time could never be forgotten or lived down. Crystal was cuddling with her doll, Raven was cuddling with Crystal, and Beast Boy was cuddling with Raven.

"Do you not think we should wake them up?" whispered Starfire. "Crystal shall be late for school."

"No, let them be," said Cyborg.

"Yeah, this is good for them," said Nightwing.

"Damn, I've run out of film," said Bumblebee, looking at her camera. "I've gotta get another one."

"Uh, I think that's enough pictures," said Cyborg. "Come on, let's get outta here before they wake up and find us gawking at them." The group silently filed out and left the three to continue sleeping.

The first to awaken a few minutes later was Raven. She was a bit confused as to where she was, but soon remembered why she was in the med bay. She looked down and saw Crystal fast asleep in her arms. She smiled and was glad to have woken up feeling pain and ache free. She then became aware of breathing on her neck. She turned her head slightly and saw that Beast Boy was basically spooning her, his face nuzzled into the back of her neck. She knew that this should feel uncomfortable and wrong, but the truth was it didn't.

'Beast Boy, I wish I could feel your emotions,' she thought to herself. 'I wish I could know if you're truly in love with me. You have no idea how much I want you to be. I've longed for love for so long. If only there was someway I could know for sure. I need you to tell me without coming out and telling me.'

Just then Beast Boy let out a soft groan and pulled himself even closer to her, his arm that was draped over her side now hugging her affectionately. He nuzzled his nose between her neck and the pillow, causing her heart to race and an odd shiver to envelop her body.

'I certainly can't deny that my heart does desire to be yours,' she thought as she got used to the feel of him even closer. 'You've grown up so much and you seem to only want to take care of me, though I still doubt your reasons for doing so are genuine. You're a great father and just a wonderful person altogether. I want you to be in love with me because I… I… I'm in love with you.'

Upon this realization she felt an odd weight lift off of her. She now realized why she'd been putting him off so diligently and why she refused to believe that he could have feelings for her. She had fallen in love with him and therefore she knew she was vulnerable.

Crystal sighed and twisted about so that she was facing Raven now. She held the little girl close to her and stroked her hair affectionately. She closed her eyes and smiled softly, absorbing in this nice feeling of… family. She wondered if this was what it'd be like if she did have a family of her own. If Crystal were really her daughter and Beast Boy was really her husband. What an odd feeling this was.

"Raven," Beast Boy breathed into her neck, causing her to shiver. She wasn't sure if he was talking in his sleep or was finally awake. When he spoke again, she knew he was awake. "Raven?"

"What?" she answered softly, hoping not to wake Crystal.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

She certainly hadn't been expecting that and wondered if he'd been sensing what she'd been thinking. She gently turned her head so that she could see him and he lifted himself from his comfy nook between her neck and the pillow. For a moment she looked into his tired, stilly puffy from sleep, green eyes. His arm was still around her and their bodies were very close, basically pressing up against each other.

"Please?" he added.

She sighed and slowly nodded her head saying, "Alright."

He was quiet for a moment then said, "Really?"

"Yes," she replied.

He smiled and said, "Good." He leaned down, kissed her cheek, and then immediately stuck his face back into the nook between her neck and the pillow. Within seconds she could feel that he was fast asleep again. She felt an odd feeling of relief spread over her and she closed her own eyes once more. She gently, if not slyly, moved a bit closer to him.

Once the two had fallen asleep again it was Crystal's turn to finally wake up. She threw Ravens arm, that was cuddling her, off and sat up, rubbing her sleepy little eyes. She looked to her side and saw her new mommy and her daddy fast asleep. She felt her little tummy rumble and she knew it was breakfast time. She crawled off of the bed and made her way to the common room, leaving the two alone. She made it to the common room and saw the rest of her 'family'.

"Well good morning lil lady," said Cyborg with a smile.

"Morning," she said, walking over to the table and taking a seat. "Can I have some cereal?"

"You got it," he said with a smile.

"Are your dad and Raven still asleep?" asked Nightwing.

"Yup," she said. "And Raven's my mommy, you know."

"Right, sorry," said Nightwing.

"Alright, hurry up and eat," said Bumblebee. "We've got to get you to school."

"Ugh, can't I just not go?" whined Crystal.

"Yeah, if we did that your father would kill us," said Bumblebee.

"No he wouldn't," said Crystal. "Please?"

"Not going to happen," said Bumblebee.

Raven and Beast Boy lay peacefully in the conjoined beds, sleeping to their hearts content. But it wasn't long before Crystal's absence took affect on Ravens body. She soon began to cough in her sleep until she woke herself up. This also woke Beast Boy from his slumber as well.

She held her chest and coughed roughly and painfully. Instinctively, Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her and held her close. But she continued to cough, nonetheless. She moaned with pain and he moaned along with her at being awakened in such a manner.

"Please stop coughing," he said into the back of her neck.

"Don't you think I want to?" she snapped, wheezing.

"Oh, my poor Rae," he said, nuzzling her affectionately.

"Cut that out," she said, though she was actually enjoying the attention. "I'm in pain."

"I know," he sighed. "I wish there was something I could do to help you." Still in the fog of sleep he lost himself for a moment and kissed her shoulder.

Raven opened her eyes and furrowed her brow, wondering if Beast Boy had really done what she'd thought he'd done. Had he really just kissed her on the shoulder? He'd kissed her head before and even her cheek not too long ago, but her shoulder? That was very… intimate. And, as shocked as she was, she was still caught completely off guard when he kissed it yet again and then once more before she stopped him.

"Beast Boy?" she said, her heart racing and her body filling with an odd feeling she'd never experienced before.

"Hmm?" he asked, his lips still brushing her skin.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he asked again.

"You're kissing me," she said.

He opened his eyes and finally his mind cleared and awakened. He realized what he'd been doing and jumped back. As he did Raven turned over and looked at him. For a moment the two stared at each other, each feeling confused and exhilarated.

"Rae, I… I'm sorry," he said, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "I wasn't thinking, I swear."

"Why… why did you do that?" she asked.

"I just, I thought, uh, I'm sorry," he sputtered.

"No, tell me why you did that," she said in a bit of a softer tone. "Why?"

Beast Boy let himself calm down for a moment and allowed his mind to function. "It… It just felt right," he said, unable to look her in the eyes. "I can't really explain it any better than that. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said. "You don't have to apologize."

"Yes I do," he said. "I mean, here we were finally getting along again and I go and do something stupid like that. Please don't be mad at me, I was just being an idiot, as usual."

"Beast Boy, it's okay," she said again. "I'm not mad."

"Yes, you are," he sighed. "I know you are."

"No, really, I'm not," she said. "I mean, you kissed my shoulder, that's all. It's not like you fondled me or anything. So, please, don't be sorry. I'm not mad about it."

"Y-You're not?" he said, confused. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," said Raven.

Hearing this, Beast Boy let out a relieved sigh and collapsed back down onto the bed. "That's a relief," he said, rubbing his face. "I don't know what I would've done if you'd started hating me again."

"I've never hated you," she said, lying back down, feeling her aches and pains returning with the absence of Crystal. "I've certainly been annoyed and irritated by you over the years, but I've never hated you."

"Good," he said with a smile. "I'm glad to know that."

"Now, since that's all settled, I think it's time you got up," said Raven. "It's nearly ten."

He stared at her for a second and then said, "No, it's not."

"Oh, yes, it is," she responded. "Look at the clock."

He looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall and saw that it was, indeed, nearly ten. "Oh crap!" he exclaimed and practically fell out of the bed. "She's late for school again. I'm gonna get a call from the school now, I know it. Wait a second, where is she?!"

"She's probably already up and getting ready," said Raven calmly.

"God, I'm turning into the worse father ever," he said and headed for the exit.

"I'll quote you on that statement so I have something to use against you when they take you to court," she said sarcastically and settled into the bed.

He gave her a look and then ran out of there. He quickly made his way to the common room and found everyone but Crystal and Cyborg.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Relax, Sparky's taking her to school right now," said Bumblebee.

"Is Raven awake?" asked Starfire, who was holding Jack.

"Yeah, but she's still in bed," said Beast Boy. "Actually, she's probably back asleep by now."

"How's she doing?" asked Nightwing.

"Fine," said Beast Boy. "She was coughing earlier, but it's calmed down. Hey, what's today?"

"Uh, Friday," said Bumblebee. "Sheesh, you are out of it."

"Friday, huh?" he said, thinking. "That means I gotta make plans. Oh, and just so you know, the engagement's back on."

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Starfire happily. "I am so glad I did not cancel the arrangements I have made."

"Yeah, speaking of which, I need to talk to you about the plans you've made," said Beast Boy. "I kinda wanna marry Rae as quickly and as easily as possible."

"Before you fight again, right?" said Nightwing.

"You know it," said Beast Boy and he headed into the kitchen. He grabbed Ravens teakettle, filled it up, and placed it on a burner.

"You sure it's not because you _love_ her?" Bumblebee smirked.

Nightwing nearly spat his second cup of coffee out of his mouth. "What was that?" he asked.

"Beast Boy, you are in love with Raven?" asked Starfire.

Beast Boy glared at Bumblebee and said, "I wasn't exactly planning on revealing that to anyone yet."

"Sorry," Bumblebee chuckled. "Couldn't help it."

"Oh, this is such glorious news!" exclaimed Starfire. "You are not marrying Raven to fulfill her dream; you are marrying for you are in love!"

"No, I'm marrying her for both reasons," said Beast Boy. "Now everyone drop it and don't tell Cyborg."

"Uh, heh, too late," said Bumblebee.

"Oh God," said Beast Boy, thinking about the torture Cyborg was going to put him through now.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 22

Raven hated having to ask permission to do anything; it made her feel like a child. All she wanted to do was go lie in her own bed. She felt fine, well as fine as she could given her condition, but she promised to stay in bed the entire day to put her friends' minds at ease. But she wanted to spend the day in her _own_ bed, not the med bay bed. Which meant she had to ask if she could leave this hospital styled bed and move to her own.

Beast Boy entered the med bay with a tray and a smile. "Hey, you up for some breakfast?" he asked, walking over to her slowly as to not let anything spill off of the tray.

"Depends," said Raven, sitting up stiffly. She let a few coughs escape her, but did her best to stop them. "What sort of breakfast are we talking about?"

"A really good breakfast," he chuckled. He placed the tray on Ravens lap and let her look at the spread he'd given her. Herbal tea, orange juice, french toast, bacon, and orange slices covered in coconut shavings. "So, what do you think?"

Raven looked it all over very careful. "Well, it looks very good," she said. "But I do have a few questions."

"Ask away," he said with a smile.

"Is the bacon genuine?" she asked.

"No," he said simply.

"Was the french toast made with real eggs?" she asked.

"No," he said again.

"Alright, that's all I needed to know," she said and picked up the fork. He watched as she began to eat some french toast and bacon.

"You don't mind eating a meat-free meal?" he asked.

"You put a lot of effort and care into this," said Raven. "It would be cruel of me to turn it away just before of our different beliefs in whether or not animals should be eaten. Besides, I'm _really_ hungry."

Beast Boy couldn't help but smile at her. Cyborg had said there was no way in hell that Raven would eat fake meat products, but low and behold, she was. Either she really was very hungry or she cared enough about his feelings not to say anything. Either way, he really didn't care. The point was that she was eating.

"Hey, do you know what today is?" he asked.

"Um…" she thought with an orange slice in her mouth. "Friday?"

"Well, I'm glad _you're_ aware of the date," he said. "I completely lost track of the week. Anyway, do you remember what we're supposed to do today?"

"No, I can't say I do," she said and took another bite of her soy bacon.

"We decided that we'd go out on a date on Friday," said Beast Boy. Raven choked on her bacon and took a moment to calm herself. "Don't you remember?"

"Uh, no," said Raven. "After all that's happened in the last few days I forgot."

"Well, we _are_ gonna go out tonight," said Beast Boy. "So make sure you get plenty of rest today."

"Do the others know about this?" asked Raven. "I doubt they'll want me out of the tower at all after what happened last night."

"Don't worry, Crystal's coming with us so you'll feel okay," said Beast Boy.

"You're bringing your daughter on your date?" asked Raven.

"No, _we're_ bringing _our_ daughter on _our_ date," said Beast Boy.

"Wow, how romantic," she said, sarcastically. "Not that, you know, I'd expect it to be romantic or anything."

"Don't worry, I've got everything planned out," he said with a smile. "It's gonna be a good time."

"This should be interesting," said Raven, sipping her tea. "What should I wear?"

"Whatever you want," said Beast Boy.

"Okay, so I know we're not going anywhere fancy," said Raven.

"Yeah, like I'd bring Crystal to some place fancy," Beast Boy laughed. "She's not nearly mature enough for something like that. Anyway, don't think about it anymore. Like I said, I've got it all planned out."

"You've certainly been using your brain a lot lately," said Raven. "It's very… odd."

"I know," he agreed. "I never knew thinking could be so… cool. Now that I am I don't think I'm gonna stop any time soon."

"God help us all," said Raven with a small smile and ate another orange slice. "Oh, I was wondering, can I spend the day in _my_ bed?"

"I don't know," he said, not very sure that he liked the idea of her being away from the heart monitors. "I'd have to ask Cyborg or NW."

"But you're the one in charge of me," said Raven. "They trust your word more than anything so if you say that it's okay then they'll let me."

"But I'm not sure if I'm okay with it," said Beast Boy. "If I take you out tonight I wanna make sure you're in top condition."

"And I will be," said Raven. "I'd just rather rest up in my own bed. Can you imagine having to lie in a hospital bed all day when your room is only a hallway away?"

Beast Boy sighed and said, "Alright, you can go back to your own bed."

"Thank you," she said and began taking all of her sensors off of her. The machines sounded and an alarm went off. "Oops."

Beast Boy immediately ran over to the alarm shut down button and hit it. The siren silenced and everything calmed down. He then took his communicator out and dialed in Nightwing. "Nightwing?"

"Beast Boy, Raven's crashed!" he said, quite alerted.

"No, she just took her sensors off," said Beast Boy. "She's okay."

"Are you sure?" asked Nightwing.

"Yeah, she's fine," said Beast Boy. "And she's moving out of the med bay and back into her room."

"You think she's well enough?" asked Nightwing.

"She's convinced me she is," said Beast Boy.

"Alright, thanks for the update," said Nightwing and he signed off.

Beast Boy shoved his communicator back into his pocket and said, "There, it's settled. But could you at least finish eating breakfast first before leaving?"

"I am finished," she said.

"You've only had half!" said Beast Boy.

"Because my stomach can only hold half of the giant meal you made me," said Raven. "I'm completely full. And now I'm going to my own room."

"Oh, fine," he huffed and moved the tray out of her way. She slid out of the bed at last and stretched her legs out. She stood up and he was right there to help her. He placed his arm around her waist and waited for her to get her bearings. Upon feeling his touch Raven felt her whole body warm up, as if she were blushing all over. She wanted to lean into him and let him hold her close, but she knew that would just complicate things more.

Once she was in her room, Beast Boy got to work making sure everything would be set up for that night. He wanted everything to go right, for once. Not only did he want her to have a good time, and not pass out, but he wanted to ask her a few key questions they hadn't discussed yet.

The day went on and soon Crystal was home. It wasn't long before Raven found herself having to share her bed with the little girl as she began to play with her dolls again. Raven, who'd never played with dolls when she was a child, studied Crystal as she played. She found it all to be very fascinating. She watched as Crystal created her own little world right there on Raven's bed. The dolls spoke to one another; they had relationships. It was all very interesting.

"Oh no! We're gonna hafta save the world!" said Crystal in a lower voice as she held one of her dolls.

"It's okay, we can do it!" she said in a higher voice with another doll.

"No! You'll never win!" she said in a funny voice as she grabbed another doll.

"Yes we will!" she said, representing the other dolls.

Raven watched this with fascination. She saw that the story Crystal had created was about superheroes and villains. She knew she shouldn't have expected anything less; what with Crystal being the daughter of superheroes. She also saw that as the game went on Crystal was replicating events that had actually happened at one point or another in the Titans' lives. It seemed to never end. Raven couldn't believe how long the little girl could play this game for.

"Hello my girls," said Beast Boy, entering with a smile.

"Your girls?" said Raven, raising an eyebrow.

"Hi daddy!" said Crystal, dropping her dolls and jumping to her feet on the bed. "Did you find my present? Can I have it now?"

"What present?" asked Beast Boy.

"The one you said you had but you couldn't find cuz mommy-Raven hid it," said Crystal. "You promised you'd give it to me yesterday."

"Oh, uh, right," said Beast Boy, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, dad, where is this gift?" smirked Raven, getting a small glare from Beast Boy.

"Well, um, I kinda decided that… uh… I gave it to orphans!" he said, thinking as quickly as he could.

"Y-You gave it away?" said Crystal, shocked. "B-But… what about me?" She sat down on the bed and started to cry.

"No! No, don't cry," he said quickly, going to her. "I've got a really special night planned out for us tonight to make up for it. We're gonna have fun!"

"What kinda fun?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"It's a surprise," he said with a smile. "But you're gonna love it."

"Is everyone going?" asked Crystal.

"Just you, me, and mommy-Raven," said Beast Boy. "Now go watch some TV so she can get ready and then we can go."

"Okay," she said. She crawled off of the bed and exited the room, her happy demeanor quickly returning.

"So, where're we going?" asked Raven once Crystal was gone.

"I already told you, it's a surprise," said Beast Boy with a smile. "Now you need to get dressed."

"How much time do I have?" asked Raven, slipping out of the bed.

"As long as you need," he said. "But let's make it less than an hour."

"I'll meet you in the common room in ten minutes," said Raven, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, if you need anything call," he said and exited.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," said Raven and she went to get some fresh clothes out of her draw.

Within ten minutes she was dressed and ready to go. She wasn't sure where they were going or what they were going to do, but she had to put her trust in Beast Boy. She wasn't sure where they were going to go that would be alright for Crystal, yet could still be called a date for them. She just hoped she would be strong enough to last the evening. She knew her health was declining and with only Crystal around who knew how long she could last.

"Alright, let's get this over with," she said, entering the common room.

"Hurray!" said Crystal. "Daddy, we can go now!"

"Awesome," he said with a smile. "We'll be back later."

"Have a good time," said Starfire.

"Don't stay out too late," said Nightwing.

"Come home if you don't feel well, Raven," said Cyborg.

"Thanks Ma and Pa," said Raven, sarcastically. "And I'll let you know if Beast Boy tries to make a move on me."

"Definitely tell me!" said Bumblebee. "I want all the details."

"Come on! Let's go!" said Crystal in excitement and impatience.

"Alright, we're out of here," said Beast Boy, escorting Crystal and Raven out of the common room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 23

"You've got to be kidding me," said Raven as they pulled into the parking lot.

"PizzArcade!" shouted Crystal. "This is the best place ever!"

"Surprise!" said Beast Boy with a smile.

"You're taking me to an arcade for our first date?" said Raven. "Do you even know me?"

"It's not just an arcade," said Beast Boy. "It's got pizza too!"

"The best pizza ever!" said Crystal.

"And the games are great," said Beast Boy.

"The best games ever!" said Crystal.

"Alright, I get it," said Raven. "Well, at least I know you two will have fun."

"Don't worry, you'll have a good time, too," said Beast Boy, parking.

"I'm guessing you have a logical reason for picking this place," said Raven.

"A few, actually," said Beast Boy, turning the car off. "I'll tell you once we're inside."

"Good," said Raven, stepping out of the car. Crystal was already outside and jumping up and down she was so excited. Raven took the girl's hand and once Beast Boy had locked the car the three headed inside.

Within thirty seconds of being in the building Raven was ready to go home and slap herself for trusting Beast Boy. It was beyond loud, filled with screaming, laughing, and crying children, and smelt of burnt pizza. She glared at Beast Boy, who just gave her a reassuring look. Crystal looked like she was ready to fly around the room she was so happy.

They were given a table and soon ordered a pizza and drinks. Crystal was naming each of the games she wanted to play and how jealous Taye and Nicole were going to be. Raven could see her little mouth moving but could barely hear a word over the noise. Beast Boy just smiled and nodded to everything Crystal was saying. She guessed he couldn't hear her either. The pizza soon arrived and they ate.

"See? Isn't this the best pizza ever!" said Crystal with a mouth full of pizza.

"Yes, it's very good," said Raven, though she really couldn't stand the burnt edges of the crust.

"Slow down, you don't have to rush," laughed Beast Boy as Crystal wolfed down as much of her slice of pizza as she could.

"But I wanna play some games," said Crystal.

"You'll play all the games you want," said Beast Boy. "We're in no rush."

"Oh joy," said Raven, sarcastically, and then she began to cough.

"Come on, it's not that bad," said Beast Boy, rubbing her back.

"Ooh! They're playing a movie!" shouted Crystal as she finally noticed a large screen playing a popular movie. "Daddy, can I go watch down there?"

"Alright," said Beast Boy. She quickly grabbed her pizza and kiddie cup and went to sit down in the children's area, which was set up so kids could watch the movie and the adults could watch the kids.

"Alright, I want an explanation," said Raven.

"Well, I thought this would be a good place because there are lots of kids around," said Beast Boy. "So you'll feel good all night. And because Crystal will be too busy playing games to hear what we're talking about."

"Wow," said Raven. "I didn't think you _actually_ had reasons."

"Did you really think I'd drag you in here for no reason?" he laughed. "I know how much you hate crowded, loud places. I promise we won't be here for too long. Crystal will get bored within the hour."

"One can only hope," said Raven.

"So, while she's down there, do you wanna talk?" asked Beast Boy.

"About what?" asked Raven.

"We have to talk about the wedding and what our life is gonna be like once we're married," said Beast Boy.

"You want to talk about stuff like there here?" said Raven. "I can barely hear my own thoughts!"

"Well what else are we supposed to do?" said Beast Boy.

"Daddy!" said Crystal, running back to the table. "Can I play some games now?"

"That sounds good to me," said Raven, standing up. "The sooner we play the sooner we can get out of here."

"Why would we want to leave?" laughed Crystal. "I wish I could live here!"

"You'd probably die of an excitement overload," Beast Boy chuckled. "Now what do you want to play first?"

"Whack-a-mole!" she shouted and ran over to it.

The three went over and popped three tokens into the machine. Crystal grabbed the mallet, which was as large as her head, and waited for it to start. As soon as a mole popped up she whacked it. Then another popped up and she hit it as well. This continued until the game was over and she was awarded ten tickets.

After the whack-a-mole adventure they moved onto skee-ball, then basketball, then a claw machine, and then a racecar game. And once they were done with those they repeated them all over again. Slowly Beast Boy and Crystal got Raven to play a few games with them. To their surprise, and her own, she beat the skee-ball high score and won close to a million tickets.

"This is such a waste of paper!" said Raven as the three of them walked towards the prize counter with a trash bag full of tickets. "I hope they recycle these things."

"Daddy, can I get the giant tiger?!" said Crystal, eyeing a giant stuffed tiger that was worth 20,000 tickets.

"Most of these tickets are Ravens," said Beast Boy. "I don't think you have enough."

"What on Earth would I get with all these things?" said Raven. "Crystal, get whatever you want."

"The tiger! The tiger!" she screamed with delight.

"The tiger it is," said Raven. "What else?"

"The radio/TV!" said Crystal.

"Alright, that's 50,000 tickets," said Raven. "What else?"

When the three left PizzArcade Crystal was the proud owner of a giant tiger, a radio/TV, a large cup with the PizzArcade logo on it, a princess hat, and a bag full of candy. They also got Taye a large stuffed dinosaur, Nicole a baby doll, and had enough tickets left over to give to a little kid who wasn't doing very well at the games.

By the time they left the parking lot Crystal was passed out, cuddled with her giant tiger. They were only supposed to be there for an hour but didn't leave for a good three hours. Even Beast Boy and Raven were tired.

"So, can we talk now?" asked Beast Boy.

"About the wedding and stuff?" asked Raven. "I guess, since she's asleep. What did you want to ask?"

"Well, I wanted to know if anything should change once we get married," said Beast Boy.

"When is the wedding?" asked Raven.

"Next week," said Beast Boy. "I've got all the info back at the tower so I'll fill you in once we get back. Anyway, do you think anything should change?"

"Change in what way?" asked Raven.

"Well, do you want us to keep our own rooms or do you want to move in together?"

"I think it'll be a little cramped with you _and_ Crystal living in my room," Raven chuckled.

"Come on, I'm serious," he chuckled as well.

"Well… if we lived in the same room… would we share a bed?" asked Raven.

"Oh, uh, that's up to you," said Beast Boy.

"I only ask because whenever you sleep next to me I always sleep better and I don't feel as sore in the morning," said Raven.

"Well, if that's true, I don't see why we shouldn't," he said with a smile. "And, while we're asking stuff like this that makes us feel, oh, so uncomfortable, what do you want to do about the kiss?"

Raven was quiet for a moment. "What kiss?" she asked.

"You know, the kiss at the end of the wedding," said Beast Boy. "We have a few options. We can kiss before the wedding to get it over with, just wait and do it during the wedding, or not kiss at all and just keep it mutual. It's up to you."

"Well," she sighed. "I've always dreamed of my first kiss with my husband. But I don't want that kiss to be our first kiss. It'll be far too embarrassing."

"I know what you mean," said Beast Boy. "So… does that mean we should do it beforehand?"

"At some point, yes," said Raven. "Now let's just drop the subject."

"Agreed," said Beast Boy.

They soon arrived back home at the tower. Raven took the sleeping Crystal in while Beast Boy was in charge of all of the prizes. Raven loved holding Crystal in her arms; her little head resting on her shoulder, her hands cuddled together, her legs hanging limp. It made her feel truly happy. It made her feel like, well, like a mother.

She brought the little girl to the room they shared and prepared her for bed. She dressed her in her pajamas and tucked her in. By then Beast Boy was there and he laid the giant tiger at the foot of her bed.

"She sure tired herself out tonight," said Raven in a whisper.

"I'm surprised you're not passed out, too," he whispered back in a chuckle. "You were just as active as she was."

"I was not," she whispered, rolling her eyes. "Now, let's get out of here so we don't wake her."

"You don't wanna go to bed?" asked Beast Boy.

"Not yet," said Raven. "Besides, you said you'd fill me in on all of the wedding information."

"I've got it all in my room," he said.

The two left Ravens room and headed towards his. Once there she took a seat on his bed while he rifled through a bunch of papers that were strewn about on his desk. He grabbed a few and then sat down next to her.

"Okay, so it's gonna be on Tuesday," he said getting settled in. "We're gonna have it on the roof kinda near sunset. It's gonna be all decorated really nicely, so don't worry about it looking boring since it's on the roof."

"Who's performing the ceremony?" asked Raven. "Not a priest I hope; they tend to avoid me."

"Don't worry, NW's gonna do it," said Beast Boy.

"He can do that?" asked Raven.

"Yup, we checked it out and he can," said Beast Boy. "And it's just gonna be us, in the tower. We were thinking about inviting some other Titans, but we decided to keep it small and personal."

"Good," said Raven. "It'll be odd enough being in front of our closest friends, let alone our Titan acquaintances."

He smiled and said, "So, we've basically got everything like that figured out. All we need you to do is find a dress to wear."

"I get to pick out the dress?" she asked, to which he nodded. "Thank Azar! I thought Starfire was picking one out for me."

"Well, heh, she did," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "But I told her that you'd already picked out a dress. A lie, yes, but I don't think you would've liked the dress she'd chosen. It was about seven feet wide and covered with frills."

"I bet it looked like her own wedding dress," Raven chuckled.

"Actually, it was," said Beast Boy. "She wanted you to wear it so it'd be a Titan tradition."

Raven shuddered and said, "Well, thank you for lying and getting me out of that. I owe you one."

He smiled and handed her the pile of papers. "Now this is the menu, the decorations, flowers, everything like that," he said. "You go through it and tell me what you like, don't care about, or hate."


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 24

"…because I'm allergic to them," she finished, handing the pile of papers back to him.

"Okay, awesome," said Beast Boy, shuffling the papers until they were nice and organized again. He got up and threw the papers back on his desk, ruining the whole point of organizing them. "So, I'll let everyone know and we'll get this wedding underway."

He sat back down on the bed and gave her a smile. She gave him a small smile back, but he noticed how tired she looked now. They'd been going over the wedding details for nearly an hour now. That was a long time for her to be away from any of the children.

"You wouldn't happen to know what time it is, would you?" she asked, slightly stretching her body that was beginning to ache.

"Probably time you went to bed," he said. "After what happened yesterday I think you had far too much excitement tonight."

"Oh please, I feel fine," she said, brushing him off. "I'm just feeling my usual aches and pains, that's all."

"Which is why you should go to bed," said Beast Boy. "That way you can be near Crystal and feel okay."

"I hate having to go to bed so early," she sighed. "It really does make me feel like a child."

"Well, you never really got to act like a normal child," said Beast Boy. "So, think of this as you making up for that."

"Do you have a positive answer for everything?" she asked with a small smile.

"Just about," he shrugged, smiling back.

Raven retained her smile for a moment then looked to the floor, her face turning into a look of thought. Beast Boy stared at her curiously; he'd always wanted to know how she could go into such deep thought in a matter of seconds. He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip and then finally shook her head of all the thoughts she was battling with.

"Beast Boy?" she said at last.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Do you… do you really, and I mean _really_, love me?" she asked, an odd shyness taking over her.

"Yes, I do," he said, confidently.

"Like _love_ love?" she pressed. "Not pity love?"

"_Love_ love," he chuckled. "I've really fallen in love with you, Rae."

Raven thought about this for another moment then seemed to straighten up. "Alright, then," she said. "You can kiss me."

Beast Boy looked at her strangely. "What?" he asked.

"I give you permission to kiss me," she said in a very businesslike manner.

He looked at her again and then started to laugh, which got her attention. "Are you kidding?" he laughed. "That's how you want our first kiss to be? All planned out with you giving me permission? That's not romantic at all!"

"I never said I wanted it to be romantic," said Raven. "I just want to get it over with."

"Well, then, I'm not gonna kiss you," said Beast Boy, crossing his arms in a childlike manner.

"What?" said Raven, turning to him sharply. "You just said you're in love me! So kiss me."

"Nope, I'm not gonna do it like this," he said, looking away from her. "It's not special when you're expecting it."

She frowned and said, "Well, fine. If you're not gonna kiss me then I'm going to bed." She stood up, got her balance, and headed for the door. "And you can forget us doing any kissing at the wedding. Here I thought you could actually be an adult about this, but-."

The sentence was never finished. In an instance Beast Boy had gotten up, twisted her back towards him, and pressed his lips upon hers. Was it spontaneous? Most certainly. Was it romantic? Raven felt her knees buckle, what did that mean? She felt his arms wrap around her and make sure she didn't fall to the floor. After a moment he released her and took a small step back.

"So… how was that?" he asked.

Still in a daze, it took Raven a moment to answer. "Well, um, it was, uh, adequate," she said, trying to keep her composure.

"Adequate?" he said, disappointed. "Is that all?"

"Well I guess it was okay… for a first kiss," said Raven.

"Do you think it needs practice?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Maybe."

He smiled slyly, took her cheek in his hand, and kissed her again… and again… and again. He wrapped his arms around her, as she did to him, and kissed her with all the passion that'd been dwelling in his heart. Raven felt her own heart race and all of her aches and pains melt away. This was a real first for her and she liked it.

After a minute or two they finally slowed their kissing and pulled apart to catch their breath. Raven moved in close, pressed herself up against him, and held him tightly. He held her close and soaked in the feeling.

"Beast Boy?" she said.

"Yeah?" he said softly.

"I… I love you, too," she said and held him a little tighter, as if she was holding on to the hope that this was real.

Beast Boy was actually pretty shocked by this confession, since up until then Raven hadn't shown him any real romantic feelings towards him. "You do?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," she said.

He smiled and kissed her head, holding her lovingly. "I'm really glad to know that," he said. "I guess now we're getting married for traditional reasons."

Raven smiled against him and couldn't help but feel a sense of peace take over her. This was what she'd always wanted. She really didn't care what happened to her now. She was loved and that's all she'd ever really wanted.

"You should probably get to bed now," said Beast Boy. "You must be pretty tired and sore by now."

"Actually… I feel pretty good," said Raven. "I don't know why but I feel perfectly fine."

"Huh, that's odd," said Beast Boy. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," she said. "I think I'd know if I felt good or bad."

"Alright, I was just asking," said Beast Boy. "I'm just… surprised is all."

"You and me both," said Raven.

"So… what do you wanna do now?" asked Beast Boy.

"Actually, I'd like to go sit with the adults, for once," she said.

"Oh," said Beast Boy, a bit disappointed.

"What?" she asked. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Well, I was kinda thinking that, you know, we could practice some more," he said, sheepishly.

Raven looked at him for a moment then rolled her eyes. "I think we've practiced enough for tonight," she said.

"Aw," he grumbled.

"Please don't tell me this is how you're going to be from now on," said Raven. "I'm not saying the kissing wasn't… enjoyable, but we're adults and we don't have to act like hormone driven teenagers about it."

"But I haven't gotten to kiss a woman in so long!" he whined. "I forgot how good it was."

"And that was my first kiss ever," Raven, pointed out. "But I'm not going to rush this."

"I just wanna kiss!" he said. "I didn't say I wanted to sleep with you. Not tonight, at least."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" asked Raven. "You're planning on sleeping with me?"

"With your consent of course," he said. "I mean, we're in love, we're gonna be married, why shouldn't we get to do what every other couple does?"

"I-I don't know," she said, a bit flustered. "It's just… kissing was a huge step for me. I can't imagine actually… going all the way."

"Hey, like I said, I'm not talking about tonight or anything," he said in a comforting tone. "Once we feel a little more comfortable romantically with each other then we'll go a little further. Don't worry, I'm not gonna make you do anything you're not prepared or ready to do."

"But what if my heart gives out during… it?" she asked.

"Then that's one hell of a way to go," he laughed.

"I'm serious," she said, rolling her eyes. "How do we even know I'll be healthy enough to do something like that? Obviously we can't have any of the kids around."

"Well, you said that sometimes when you're with me you feel fine," said Beast Boy. "Maybe you'll feel fine when we have sex."

"Ugh, don't say it like that," said Raven, walking away and pacing around the room uncomfortably. "I'm not used to talking about something like this so casually. Maybe you've done this before, which you obviously have, but this is all completely foreign to me."

"Hey, calm down," he said, going to her. "Okay, I'm sorry I said it so bluntly like that. But soon you'll see how not a big deal it is. Your first time you'll remember forever, yeah, but after that they just sorta blend together."

"Well that sounds encouraging," she said sarcastically and suddenly felt tired. "Oh no."

"What?" he asked.

"My body's telling me it's time for bed," she said, her aches and pains returning.

"Alright, let's stop talking about this and put you to bed," said Beast Boy.

"For the last time, don't say it like that," said Raven shortly. "It makes me sound like a child."

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said. He knew she was starting to feel cruddy now since she was starting to snap at him. "I know you're not a child. Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

"Alright," said Raven. "And I'll even let you give me a goodnight kiss."

Beast Boy's eyes brightened right up and linked his arm with hers. "Milady," he said and opened his door.

"You're ridiculous," said Raven, shaking her head.

"Say what you want," he said with a smile. "But you said you love me, so now I know how you really feel."

They walked down the hall back to her room. Once they reached it Beast Boy barely gave them a chance to come a stop when he brought her close and kissed her. Raven would be lying if she said his kisses didn't spark something deep within her and dared her mind to go to a place she'd always forbidden herself from going.

He dragged out the kiss for as long as he could, savoring ever single second. He knew just how to kiss a girl and he was proud of that. Plenty of practice had certainly helped. He knew how to make a kiss simple, friendly, passionate, blistering, or sexual. Right now he was taking the passionate approach and he knew he was doing a good job. He could feel the heat of a blush radiating off of Ravens entire body and he subtly smiled to himself for doing just a good job.

And just as it was really starting to get heated, he pulled away from her. He got a good look at her and saw desire and slight confusion in her eyes. She was obviously confused by these overwhelming feelings raging through her, but she was certain that she wanted more. He'd done his job perfectly.

"Goodnight," he said, giving her one last kiss on the cheek and then turning and heading back for his room.

"Goodnight," she said, hardly able to find her breath. Again, she could feel no ache or pain in her entire body.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 25

The next day Beast Boy was walking around the tower like the cock of the walk. He had a subtle, proud grin on his face and would give Raven a slight wink, causing her to blush and turn away with a shy smile. This did not go unnoticed by the other occupants of the tower. Finally, Cyborg and Nightwing decided to find out what was going on. They really were nosier than old women.

"Alright, what's up with you?" asked Cyborg.

"What do you mean?" asked Beast Boy, an odd still grin on his face.

"You know exactly what we mean," said Nightwing. "You've got a certain glow about you today that we haven't seen in a while."

"Yeah, did something happen between you and Raven?" asked Cyborg.

"Maybe," he said in a teasing manner.

The two men grabbed the grown changeling and dragged him to the evidence room to talk in private. Needless to say, Beast Boy tried to put up a fight at first, but knew he wasn't going to win. Once they were in the room the door was shut, locked, and the questioning continued.

"What happened?" said Nightwing.

"Dude, calm down," said Beast Boy.

"It's not that we don't trust you, B," said Cyborg. "We just want to know everything that goes on between you and Raven."

"Hey, what we do is our own private business," said Beast Boy. "She's gonna be _my_ wife, after all."

"Just tell us," said Nightwing, getting tired of this. "Did something happen and, if so, what?"

"Okay, relax," said Beast Boy. "I told Raven I was in love with her and she said she's in love with me. See? That's all."

"She's in love with you?" said Cyborg, shocked. "When did that happen?"

"I don't know, but she said she was," said Beast Boy with a shrug and a smile. "So we're gonna have a real marriage now, not just one to make her dream come true."

"There's something else," said Nightwing. "You don't look all happy like that just because you admit to being in love. What else happened?"

"Alright, you got me," said Beast Boy. "We also had our first kiss."

"You kissed?!" said both Cyborg and Nightwing.

"Yes, we did," said Beast Boy, smugly. "And it was _so_ good."

"Alright too much info," said Cyborg, shuddering. "So, you two are in love and you've kissed. Is that all that happened?"

"Yes, that's all that happened," said Beast Boy. "And anything else we do is none of your business."

"Are you saying you're planning on going… further?" asked Nightwing.

"Eventually, yes," said Beast Boy. "And, again, it's none of your business."

"Beast Boy, Raven's health is our business," said Cyborg. "And something like that probably isn't going to be good for her health."

"Actually, you wanna hear something weird?" said Beast Boy. "Sometimes when she's alone with me she feels perfectly fine. And last night she was gonna go to bed cuz she was feeling all achy, then we kissed, and she said she felt fine afterwards. What do you think that means?"

Cyborg and Nightwing looked at each other, each a bit confused after hearing this. They were sure it was only children that helped Raven feel better. Why would Beast Boy's presence suddenly be helping her as well? And it wasn't consistent either; which meant there must have been some other component in all of this that they were missing.

"That's interesting," said Nightwing, going into thought mode.

"Maybe we should talk to Raven about this," said Cyborg.

"No!" said Beast Boy. "If you tell her that I told you about our kissing she'll never forgive me! She's very weird about this type of stuff."

"We won't tell her about the details, we'll just say that you expressed some concerns about her condition," said Nightwing. "She'll understand that."

"Or we can just have our wives do the dirty work," said Cyborg with a smile.

Raven sat on the couch reading, feeling quite content. She couldn't believe how giddy she felt, but knew she shouldn't show it or questions would be asked. The twins were sitting in their roll around chairs watching a colorful movie for toddlers while the rest of the children were in the play room. Suddenly she felt someone take a seat on either side of her. She looked up and saw Starfire and Bumblebee smiling at her.

"Hey Raven," said Bumblebee.

"Uh… hey?" she said, unsurely.

"How are you feeling?" asked Starfire.

"Fine," she said.

"Fine? Is that all?" asked Bumblebee.

"Yes," said Raven. "Why?"

"Well… you look like you had a good time last night, that's all," smirked Bumblebee.

"Please, did you have an enjoyable time?" asked Starfire.

"Yes, it was alright," said Raven.

"Details, details!" said Bumblebee. "Did anything happen?"

"What do you mean?" asked Raven.

"Between you and Beast Boy," said Starfire. "It was your first date, correct?"

"Yes and we had a good time," said Raven, who realized what they were getting at. "And that's all I'm going to say."

"So something happened between you two?!" said Bumblebee, excited.

"I'm not saying anything," said Raven. "But that doesn't mean you should make assumptions."

"We only wish to know if you have strengthened your relationship," said Starfire. God bless the alien, she had such a way with words.

"Even if we did, it's none of your business," said Raven, growing defensive.

"Oh, like _that_ ain't an answer," said Bumblebee, smugly. "Come on, how far did you get?"

"We didn't get anywhere!" said Raven, closing her book. She then stood up and proceeded to leave.

"Come on, don't get upset," said Bumblebee as she and Starfire followed after her.

"Please, Raven, we are only curious," said Starfire. "Do not be upset."

"Curiosity killed the cat, Starfire," said Raven who had no intention of stopping. "If I wanted you two to know what happened between Beast Boy and myself I would've told you."

"So you're saying something happened?" said Bumblebee.

"No!" she shouted at them.

"Then nothing happened?" asked Starfire, who knew better. Their husbands had filled them in on what was going on and now it was their job to get Ravens view on what had happened and how her body reacted. But she wasn't making it easy, that was for sure.

"Whether something happened or not that's my personal business, not yours!" said Raven.

Bumblebee and Starfire looked at each other, each not knowing where to go from here. They just sighed and continued following after her. She was walking fast and any heart condition she had certainly wasn't affecting her right now.

"Raven, come on, we're your friends," said Bumblebee. "Would you at least stop running?"

"I'm not running," said Raven.

"You are walking very very fast," said Starfire.

"Because I feel very very annoyed by you," said Raven. "Not everything that happens in the tower has to be known about, you know."

"Wow, I'd like to hear you tell that to NW," said Bumblebee.

Raven finally reached her room and proceeded to go in, but the two women jumped in front of her and stopped her. Raven tried to push through, but then stopped and huffed in aggravation.

"What?" she snapped at them. "What do you want from me?"

"Alright, we'll come clean with you," Bumblebee sighed. "Our husbands informed us that Beast Boy went to them because he was concerned with your health."

"Big surprise there," said Raven, rolling her eyes.

"He said that when you are with him your condition sometimes gets better," said Starfire. "And we are here to get more of the details since it is your body."

"So… did he say anything about what we did?" asked Raven, nervously.

"Honestly, we don't know," said Bumblebee. "NW and Sparky didn't go into detail. So whether he told them is a mystery to us."

"Please, will you tell us now?" pleaded Starfire. "We only wish to know about the moments when you feel healthy when you are alone with Beast Boy."

Raven sighed and said, "Fine. Whenever I'm in really close contact with Beast Boy, like intimately close, I feel perfectly fine."

"How close are we talking?" asked Bumblebee.

"Sometimes when he holds me close, like when we're sleeping, and when he… kisses me," said Raven, blushing.

"Ah, so you _did_ kiss," said Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, do not make Raven feel embarrassed," scolded Starfire. "It is apparent she does not wish to talk about something so personal."

"Thank you, Starfire," said Raven, who was very grateful.

"Alright, I'm sorry," said Bumblebee. "So, is that all?"

"Yes, that's all," said Raven.

"Okay, let's go let the guys know," said Bumblebee and with that she and Starfire went off to find their husbands. Once they met up with them they quickly gave them their information and then went about their business. Now Cyborg and Nightwing were left with the task of piecing it all together.

"Alright, let's figure this out," said Nightwing, pacing about. "We've solved cold cases quicker than this."

"Well I'm guessing Raven's case is the first case of its kind… ever," said Cyborg. "It's no wonder it's taking us a while to figure it out."

They had an entire wall devoted to Raven. Upon it were hundreds of notes and theories about her condition. There was also different colored string connecting each symptom and each theory. It looked like a mess, but to the two men it was very easy to read.

"Okay, let's break it down," said Nightwing. "Her body is slowly dying because it served its purpose during the whole Trigon disaster. Yet something is keeping her from actually dying. Every once in a while something tells her body that she needs to stay alive. This only happens when she's around children and, now, when she's being intimate with Beast Boy. Why would that be?"

"Well we know she's not absorbing the life force of the kids," said Cyborg. "And Beast Boy seems pretty energetic."

"What else could it be then?" said Nightwing pacing around, holding his chin in thought.

Suddenly Cyborg's eyes went wide as an epiphany struck his brain. "Maybe we should think about the purpose of life," he said.

"Ravens case is hard enough, I don't think we could solve something as complex as that," said Nightwing, rubbing his eyes.

"No, man, I mean the real basic purposes of life," said Cyborg, getting excited. "Forget God and all that. Think of primal instincts and animals and stuff. What is an animal's main purpose?"

"I'm guessing to eat and mate," said Nightwing.

"Exactly!" said Cyborg. "To mate! To make little animals!"

"Cyborg, where are you going with this?" asked Nightwing.

"Think about it, NW," he said. "Ravens body is constantly dying, but when she's around children it immediately halts and starts getting better. And when she and B are kissing the same thing happens. Don't you see what's going on?!"

"I'd rather hear you say what _you_ think is going on," said Nightwing, still a bit in the dark.

"Raven said that her body had no reason to live, right?" he said. "But when she's around children her body's instincts kick on and she gets better because it knows it has to take care of them and protect them. And when she's close and intimate with Beast Boy the same thing happens because her body wants her to mate so she can keep living. That's what's keeping her alive! I bet if she had a child then her body would know it can't die and she'd probably recover and be fine for another, like, eighteen years!"

Nightwing stared at Cyborg for a moment in shock. He thought it all over and realized that he was right. Everything made sense now. The puzzle was finally solved.

"We need to talk to Beast Boy."


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 26

"She did not!" said Taye.

"Yeah huh, she did," said Crystal.

"There's no way," said Taye.

"I saw her do it!" said Crystal.

"Were there balloons?" asked Nicole.

"No, but this really loud siren went off," said Crystal.

"You're lying," said Taye.

"How do you think we were able to get all those cool prizes?" said Crystal.

"Easy, you bought them," said Taye.

"No, we didn't!" said Crystal. She ran over to Raven on the couch and pleaded, "Mommy-Raven, tell them that you beat the skee-ball high score."

"I beat the skee-ball high score," said Raven.

"See!" said Crystal.

"Did you really?" asked Taye, still not believing her.

"Would I lie?" said Raven. "And, if you don't believe me, you can go ask your Uncle Beast Boy. He was there, too."

"Alright then, I will," said Taye and he went running off with the two little girls following right after him.

Beast Boy walked down the hallway, whistling to himself contently. He felt quite good today. Really good, though, not good enough like he usually felt. He felt genuinely good. He knew it wouldn't last for long, nothing lasts forever, but for now he was going to take it all in.

"Uncle Beast Boy!" Taye called from behind him.

He turned around and saw the three kids running at him. "Whoa, what's going on?" he asked.

"Did Auntie Raven really beat the skee-ball record?" asked Taye.

"Yeah," said Beast Boy. "She sure did."

"Told you!" shouted Crystal.

"Cool!" said Nicole.

"Wow, I'm gonna tell everyone at school!" said Taye.

"I'm gonna tell everyone, she's _my_ mommy-Raven," said Crystal. "Come on, I'll show you guys my other cool stuff she won for me." And with that the three children went running off back down the hall.

"Don't run!" he yelled after them, though they chose not to hear him.

Suddenly four hands grabbed him and yanked him into his room, which he'd been stopped in front of. The door was closed and for a moment he believed he'd been kidnapped. He took a fighting position, but saw that it was Nightwing and Cyborg. He lowered his hands and sighed with relief.

"Dudes! Jesus, you scared the hell out of me!" he yelled at them. "What's your deal?

"Beast Boy, we know how to cure Raven," said Nightwing.

He stared at them for a moment with wide eyes. "Are… Are you serious?" he asked. "How?"

"You need to get her pregnant," said Cyborg.

Again, he stared at them, only this time he looked at them as if they were crazy. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You're aware of the fact that children have kept her alive, right?" said Nightwing.

"Well, yeah," said Beast Boy.

"That's because when she's near children her body feels like it has to live to take care of them," said Nightwing.

"It's her maternal instincts keeping her alive," said Cyborg. "And she said she feels better when she's with you intimately. That's because her body wants to get pregnant and, of course, the whole process starts with being close and kissing and stuff. So if we want to keep her alive she's got to get pregnant."

"Which is where you come in," said Nightwing.

Beast Boy felt very overwhelmed by all of this and leaned up against his wall. "So… if she gets pregnant she'll really be cured?" asked Beast Boy.

"For a while, at least," said Cyborg.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Beast Boy.

"We can't really be sure about anything," said Nightwing. "But this makes the most sense."

"Yeah, I mean, what other explanation could there be?" said Cyborg.

"Well, when you say she'll be cured, does that just mean she's just gonna be physically better or will she actually have her powers back?" asked Beast Boy.

"We really aren't sure about that," said Nightwing. "But, for all we know, she could."

"You up for this, B?" asked Cyborg.

"Well, I mean, I guess," he said, feeling his mind spinning. "Have you told her?"

"No," said Nightwing. "And we don't think we should."

"Why not?" asked Beast Boy. "I think she has a right to know."

"The only reason we don't want to tell her is because of the off chance that we're wrong," said Cyborg. "We don't want to get her hopes up."

"Oh, so it's okay for me to know?" he said. "Now my hopes are up!"

"Beast Boy, calm down," said Nightwing. "We had to tell you because you're the one who has to make this happen."

"But what if she gets pregnant, but her body continues to die?" asked Beast Boy. "What happens to the baby? Or to Raven, for that matter? She'd blame me for getting her pregnant and then I'd probably lose her and the baby."

"Then, either way, she's going to die," said Nightwing. "We might as well take our chances."

"I'm telling you, B, we've got a good feeling about this," said Cyborg.

"But it all depends on you," said Nightwing.

"Yeah, no pressure, right?" he said. He sighed and said, "Well, I've done it before, I'm sure I can get a girl pregnant again."

"And we're thinking as soon as possible," said Cyborg.

"Jesus, you guys, you want me to go grab her and knock her up right now?!" he said. "I told her we'd wait until she was ready and if I force her to be with me before she's comfortable with it she'll never forgive me, no matter the reason."

"Then figure out the soonest possible time," said Nightwing. "Her health is declining fast, you know that."

"Alright, give me a second," Beast Boy sighed, trying to think. "Well, I was thinking that this 'happy' event could happen on our honeymoon, which she still doesn't know about. I think if I woo her enough, be all romantic and stuff, I can talk her into it. I just hope I'm able to perform, what with all of this lovely pressure you guys are putting on me."

"Don't worry, with the way Ravens body's been acting she'll probably get pregnant after the first try," said Nightwing.

"And our theory is as soon as it takes she'll get better," said Cyborg.

Beast Boy let all this sink in and he took a seat on his bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and let his shoulder's hunch forward. The other two men saw this and went to him.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Nightwing.

"Yeah, it's just… this is a lot to take in at once," said Beast Boy. "I mean, can things get anymore complicated?"

"Look, we can only imagine what's going through your head right now," said Cyborg. "I mean, you've got a lot riding on your shoulders. But we're here for you, man."

"He's right, Beast Boy," said Nightwing. "If you ever feel overwhelmed or just need someone to talk to you can come to us."

"I know," said Beast Boy. "I just hope this works. I mean, I'm _really_ getting my hopes up on this. If this works I'll end up not only married but with a healthy wife and another baby on the way. But if it doesn't work this could just be the end of everything in my life. The stakes are really high here, dudes."

"We know, B," said Cyborg. "We know."

After that the men took their leave of each other and tried to put everything out of their minds. But this was very hard for Beast Boy. He decided to go find Raven and spend some time with her. After all that he'd just discovered he needed to be close to her.

He found her in the kitchen making her self a cup of tea. As he entered she turned and saw him. She gave him a small smile and went back to what she was doing.

"I was wondering where you were," she said. "Turns out our little night out is the talk of the tower."

"Yeah," said Beast Boy, walking over to her. He went right up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waste, pulling her close.

"What're you doing?" she asked a bit uncomfortably.

"I just… I need to hold you for a sec, okay?" he said, closing his eyes.

Raven was about to object, but she heard the sincerity in his voice. Something was a little off with him. She released the tension she was holding and let him embrace her for as long as he needed. She wondered if perhaps he was having a reality moment; a moment when he realized that he'd only have her for, at best, a few more months.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I just wanna be with you right now," he said.

"Okay," she said, leaning into him.

He held her a little closer and buried his face into the back of her neck. This sent shivers through her body and Beast Boy could feel it. He knew he was going to have to be extremely gentle and careful with her. She was so very delicate right now. The slightest bit of intimacy made her act a bit queer. He wasn't sure she'd be ready to have sex by their honeymoon, but he hoped she would be. Once she was pregnant he knew he could relax. But until then, he was going to feel sick about all of this.

"I love you," he said into her hair.

"I love you, too," she said in return. She then went back to making her tea while he continued to hold her. He moved with her as she moved about and she found this all quite comical. She soon moved them over to the couch where he released her for a moment so they could sit down. Once she was settled in he sat close to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned a little into him and began to drink her tea at last.

Just then the children ran in yelling at the top of their lungs. Taye had a doll in his possession and was being pursued by Nicole and Crystal. He was laughing, Nicole was nearly in tears, and Crystal was fuming.

"Give it back!" cried Nicole.

"You gotta catch me," the little boy laughed.

"Taye, give Nicole her doll!" yelled Crystal.

"You're never gonna catch me," he said as he ran about the room.

"Daddy, would you tell Taye to give Nicole her doll?" Crystal called to her father as she continued to chase Taye.

"Taye, what's going on?" asked Beast Boy.

"Nicole lost my robot so I'm gonna feed her doll to my dinosaur," said Taye.

"I didn't lose it!" said Nicole. "I never play with your robot, ever!"

"Yes you do!" said Taye.

"Give back the doll!" ordered Crystal.

"Find my robot!" said Taye.

"I don't know where it is," said Nicole.

"Cuz you lost it!" said Taye.

"No I didn't!" Nicole cried out.

"Alright, enough," said Raven calmly, placing her tea down. She stood up and grabbed Taye as he passed her, ending the chase. "Give me the doll."

"No, you're just gonna give it back to her," said Taye.

"And I'm going to tell you where your robot is," said Raven.

"You know where it is?" asked Taye.

"Yes, I do," said Raven. "But I won't tell you until you give me the doll." Taye debated this for a second and then handed the doll over. "You left it in the bathroom next to the bathtub."

Realization covered the boys face. "That's where I left him!" he said and went running off.

"I told you I didn't lose it!" Nicole shouted at him and reclaimed her beloved doll. She and Crystal went running back out of the room after Taye to give him a piece of their mind.

Raven sat down once again and took hold of her teacup. She sipped it and relaxed against Beast Boy. He only smiled and kissed her cheek. He knew one thing for sure, if this all worked out, Raven was going to be one hell of a mom.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 27

She knew she had no reason to feel nervous. She'd told herself that if this day ever came she wouldn't feel nervous. But, here she was, pacing back and forth feeling like a nervous wreck. They were all waiting for her up there, waiting for the bride. She felt like she was going to be sick. She paced back and forth at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the roof.

The door opened and Crystal's head popped in, looking down the stairs. "Mommy-Raven!" she called. "Come up."

"Okay," she said, trying to remain calm, but she felt every nervous feeling within her intensify. She shakily began to climb the stairs, hoping she didn't stumble and fall back down them. Her feet felt like lead and each step became harder than the last. And all the while Crystal waited for her.

Upon reaching the top Crystal smiled opened the door up more for her soon to be step-mother. She was dressed in a beautiful little puffy dress that had flowers all over it. In her hands she held a basket with flower petals. Raven had said she didn't think a flower girl was necessary, but Crystal had cried and pleaded for the roll.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Raven.

"Yup," said Crystal. "They're waiting for you."

Crystal grabbed her hand and brought her all the way out of the stairwell and onto the roof. 'Great, now everyone is going to stare at me when I enter,' she thought, her heart racing. She took in a deep breath and followed Crystal, who was already throwing petals.

They turned the corner and there it was. Everyone was dressed nicely and smiling. She couldn't believe how nice they'd made the roof look. And, since it was sunset, everything seemed to glow; including the man waiting for her at the end of the flower petals.

Beast Boy was dressed very smartly and was smiling from ear to ear. He also looked a little nervous, which made Raven feel a little better. She slowly made her way down the little aisle between the chairs that had been set up, only focusing on him. And he'd never seen her look more beautiful. She was in a simple white dress, nothing all that fancy, but it was perfect for her. She didn't need some elaborate gown to make her look beautiful, she already was. Right now, he felt like the luckiest guy on Earth.

After what seemed like the longest trek of her life, she made it to Beast Boy, who took her hand. As soon as she felt his touch she realized that this was real; she was really about to get married. She prayed she wouldn't faint.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered to unite Garfield Logan and Raven Roth in marriage, which is an institution ordained by the state and made honorable by the faithful keeping of good men and women throughout all ages, and is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly," read Nightwing. Beast Boy began to giggle at hearing Nightwing say all this and Raven made sure to elbow him, though she found it humorous as well. "Anyway, are you ready to say your vows and exchange rings?"

"Yes," they both said.

"Okay, Beast Boy, you can go first," said Nightwing. "Rings, please."

Taye came forward and took two rings out of his pocket and handed them both to Beast Boy then went back to where he was standing. He looked bored with the whole situation. Beast Boy took the one meant for Raven and handed his to her. He then reached into his pocket, taking out a piece of paper.

"I kinda couldn't memorize it in time," he said in a small laugh and then cleared his throat. "I, Garfield Mark Logan, take you, Raven Roth, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep so help me God. Wow that was long! Did you memorize it?"

"Would you shush?" said Raven, disbelieving how unfocused he was. "And give me my ring."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," he said and slipped Ravens ring on her finger.

"Uh, okay, Raven you can go next," said Nightwing.

Raven took in a deep breath and recited the vows perfectly, since she'd memorized them. "I, Raven Roth, take you, Garfield Mark Logan, to by my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep so help me God." She then slipped his ring onto his finger.

"Having thus pledged your selves each to the other, I do now, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of California, pronounce you husband and wife," said Nightwing.

Everyone clapped and the two felt a large weight lift off of their shoulders. They both smiled to each other and a feeling of love pulsed through their joined hands. But they weren't done yet, they knew that. They waited for Nightwing to say the final portion of the ceremony… and waited… and waited. Finally, Beast Boy had to say something.

"Uh, dude?" he said. "You forgot the last part."

"What part?" asked Nightwing, looking over the paper.

"The kiss!" said Beast Boy.

"Oh, uh, yeah," said Nightwing. "You may now kiss the bride."

No one had seen them kiss in public yet and all eyes watched with curiosity to see if it would really happen. The nervous feelings returned when they realized that everyone was watching them, but they'd 'practiced' quite a few times just for this moment. They decided to just ignore their friends. They leaned in and gave a lovely little loved filled kiss. Everyone was a little shocked for a moment, but then clapped enthusiastically.

"Okay, now you just have to sign this marriage certificate," said Nightwing. "And it'll be official." The two filled it out and signed their names. And, with that, it was done; they were married. Beast Boy took no time in expressing his excitement.

"We're married!" he shouted and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her and twirling her about. She gave a small shriek with surprise, but decided not to yell at him. In truth, she was excited too.

"Smile!" said Cyborg and he took a picture of the two. "Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Logan, it's reception time!"

"Awesome, I'm starved!" said Beast Boy. "I couldn't eat all day I was so damned nervous!"

"You too?" said Raven with a small smile.

"Is it over?" asked Crystal.

"Yup, it's over," said Beast Boy.

"Wow, that was really fast!" she said.

"Well, we didn't want you to grow bored," said Raven, who scooped the little girl up into her arms and carried her off the roof.

They all went downstairs to the reception, which was just a decorated common room. There was plenty of food and they all quickly filled their plates to eat. The kids stripped out of their nice clothing and went to put on something more comfortable. Raven wanted to do the same, but wanted to eat first.

"So, how does it feel to be married?" asked Bumblebee.

"Um… no different," said Raven. "Is it supposed to feel this way?"

"Yeah," she chuckled.

"Oh, Raven, I am so happy for you," said Starfire, nearly in tears, which is where she'd been all day. "Now we are all married."

"I can't believe you remembered the vow," said Beast Boy. "I spent three days trying to get it down and it wasn't happening."

"But you only spent ten minutes a day on it," said Raven. "I spent two hours."

"And I can't believe you forgot the kiss!" said Beast Boy, turning to Nightwing.

"Hey, it was my first wedding," said Nightwing. "I was just as nervous as you two."

"Hardly," said Raven.

"Hey, is this really all that's happening?" asked Crystal.

"Why? What else do you what to do?" asked Beast Boy.

"I dunno," Crystal shrugged. "But I thought there was gonna be more."

"Well, actually, there is more," said Beast Boy with a smile.

"There is?" asked Raven.

"What is it?" asked Crystal, excited.

"The three of us are going on trip," said Beast Boy.

"Where?!" asked Crystal.

"Whoa, what's going on?" asked Raven, confused.

"We're going to… Honolulu!" said Beast Boy.

"What's that?" asked Crystal.

"Hawaii?" said Raven. "Why in the world are we going to Hawaii?"

"For our honeymoon, of course," laughed Beast Boy.

"We're going to Hawaii?!" said Crystal. "Cool!"

"I didn't know we were going on a honeymoon," said Raven.

"Well you weren't supposed to," said Beast Boy. "Anyway, it's more like our first family trip."

"When are we going?" asked Crystal.

"Tomorrow morning," said Beast Boy.

"Can I start packing?" asked Crystal, springing out of her seat.

"If you want," said Beast Boy.

"Hurray!" she screamed and bolted out of the room.

"Beast Boy, I'm not sure this is a good idea," said Raven, becoming nervous. "What if something happens? I'm not sure I'm comfortable with being so far away from home."

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," he said, placing his hand upon hers. "I've got it all planned out. Crystal will basically be with you all the time to make sure you don't pass out or feel sick."

"I still don't know…" she said very unsurely.

"Rae, you know how careful I am with you," he said. "Do you really think I'd put you in harm's way?"

"I guess not," said Raven. "Are the rest of you alright with this?"

"Yeah, we totally support it," said Cyborg with a smile.

"You can't stay all cooped up in this tower forever," said Bumblebee.

"And a honeymoon is a wonderful experience," said Starfire, thinking back to her own.

"Nightwing, do you approve of this?" asked Raven.

"Whole heartedly," said Nightwing. "You go and have fun, Raven."

Raven looked around the room to each of her friends. They were all looking at her as well and smiling warmly. "Am I missing something?" asked Raven, feeling like there was something else going on. "You're all far too… supportive of all this."

"We just want you to be happy," said Cyborg.

"Yeah, I mean, this was all part of your biggest dream, right?" asked Bumblebee.

"Well, yes, but it's all far too perfect to be real," said Raven. "I just feel like the rug is about to be ripped out from under my feet."

"Even if it was, I'd be right there to catch you," said Beast Boy. "So don't worry. This is gonna be great, just you wait."

Raven sighed and said, "Alright, I guess this is my first test as being a wife; trusting my husband."

Once it was clear that Raven was a bit more comfortable with what was going on the others felt relieved. Of course there was something else going on behind this, but they didn't want her to know that. Now all their hopes rested with Beast Boy, and he knew that. He now finally had the chance to save Ravens life.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 28

No matter how old he got, Beast Boy found it terribly uncomfortable to sit in one place for more than thirty minutes. So six hours on a plane was like torture. He was glad that soon they'd be in Honolulu and his honeymoon/family vacation could begin. He was sitting on the aisle, Raven in the middle, and Crystal had the window. Currently Raven was fast asleep on his shoulder and Crystal was cuddled with her, sleeping as well. He smiled at the thought of them finally being a family. They were even going through an adoption process so Raven could adopt Crystal and officially be her mother; not just a stepmother.

"Ladies and gentlemen we're about to make our descent, please put away any electronic devices at this time," said a voice overhead.

"Thank God," said Beast Boy, stretching his legs the best he could.

Raven moaned and began to wake up. "What's going on?" she asked, drowsily.

"We're gonna land in a minute," said Beast Boy and then he kissed her forehead. "How're you doing?"

"Fine," she said, sitting up a little, doing her best not to disturb Crystal who was still asleep. "I'm just tired, is all. I want to take a nap as soon as we get to the hotel."

"You got it," he said, kissing her. He looked in her beautiful, albeit tired, eyes and smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said with a tired smile.

"Are we there yet?" a half asleep voice asked in a whine.

"Just about," said Beast Boy. "The plane's gonna land right now."

"Daddy, I really hafta pee," said Crystal.

"You're gonna have to hold it until we land," said Beast Boy. "We're not allowed to get up anymore."

"Aw," she whined and kicked her legs back and forth quickly.

"Speaking of which, I have to go, too," said Raven.

"You know what?" said Beast Boy. "So do I!"

The plane circled the airport a few times and soon began its final descent. Everyone's ears popped and they watched as the sites below them grew bigger and bigger as they glided down from the sky. Soon the wheels touched down and the plane skidded to a stop. About fifteen minutes later the doors opened and all were released.

The Logan family exited the plane as quickly as they could and ran for the bathroom, deciding their bags could wait. Once their bladders were each relieved they headed to the baggage claim area. They grabbed their suitcases and went to wait for the ride to the hotel. To Raven and Crystal's shock a limousine was waiting for them.

"Only the best for my girls," said Beast Boy with a smile.

"I've never been in a limo before!" squealed Crystal.

"This is a bit much," said Raven.

"Don't worry, it's just for the ride to the hotel," said Beast Boy. "I'm getting a car from a rental place tomorrow."

The three climbed into the stretch limo and gladly lay down on the long rows of seats. Crystal then began to snoop about and look into every little hidden cubby there was. They let her do as she wanted, since they'd rather she got her energy out now so they could rest once they got to the hotel.

The hotel was a bit of a ways away, but eventually they made it. It was absolutely beautiful and Raven was actually taken back by it. She wondered how much money this was costing the team. They must have really thought she was dying soon to spend this much money and time on her. Crystal was in just as much awe as she was, but her exhaustion from getting up so early and fidgeting on a plane for six hours caught up with her and now she was being held by her father.

They checked in and were soon shown up to their room. It was a large suite with two bedrooms. The view was incredible and it really did look like a paradise on Earth. But their appreciation only lasted a few seconds as they each found their way to bed. Crystal was already deep asleep when Beast Boy tucked her in. The two newlyweds crawled into their own bed and quickly passed out as well.

Hours passed and the three slept soundly in their very comfortable hotel beds. Beast Boy had made sure that they only had the best of everything, wanting Raven to be as comfortable as possible. So that meant their bed was large and plush, their sheets soft, and their pillows big and fluffy. As Raven drifted off to sleep she wondered if she'd ever wake up.

Beast Boy was the first to awaken only because his stomach was growling. He looked in his arms and saw that Raven was still fast asleep in his embrace. He smiled and kissed her forehead. He gently released his hold of her and slid out of the bed. He stretched and looked out at the amazing view. He looked at the clock and saw that it was noon. That meant it was two back at the tower. He was glad the time difference was only two hours rather than six.

He grabbed the room service menu and went into another room that had a phone. He looked through and placed an order for a large salad, chicken finger plate, a club sandwich, two sodas, and a cup of tea. By the time he was done he heard moaning from his bedroom and knew Raven was awake. He quickly headed back to her to make sure she was okay.

"What were you doing?" asked Raven, shakily sitting up.

"I just ordered us some food," said Beast Boy. "Hope you're hungry."

"I'm starving," said Raven. "And I feel achy now."

"Aw, my poor Rae," he said, climbing back on the bed with her.

"I need Crystal," she sighed.

"Well, she's still asleep," said Beast Boy. "But maybe this'll help." He leaned in and kissed her softly. She smiled beneath his lips, but didn't feel much better. That is, until he deepened the kiss and gently pushed her back so she was lying down once more. Her heart raced and she felt heat spread through her body. Her aches melted away and she actually felt energized. She still wasn't sure why this happened when they kissed like this, but she didn't really care. All she knew was that it felt good.

He wanted to take her right then and there. He was ready. Hell, he was more than ready! He hadn't had sex in _so_ long. But, as good as this felt, he knew now wasn't the time. Not with Crystal in the next room ready to wake up at any moment and lunch on the way. He knew this had to happen eventually, but not now. He willed himself to hold back as much as he could until finally he had to stop altogether. He knew that once this reached a certain point, he couldn't just stop. It was the curse of being male.

"What?" said Raven, out of breath and lying beneath him.

"Huh?" he asked, out of breath as well.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just don't want Crystal to walk in on us," he said, running his fingers through her hair affectionately. God, he loved her. He'd never felt love like this before. And he knew it wasn't just lust disguised as love. He actually and genuinely loved her with all of his being. And he was going to save her, no matter what.

"This is so weird," said Raven.

"What is?" he asked.

"I feel fine now," she said. "How'd you know I'd feel better if we made out?"

"Uh… just a guess," he lied. "It worked once, I kinda thought it might work again."

"Well, it did," said Raven with a soft smile. She lifted her hand and ran her own fingers through his hair and then held his cheek, to which he rubbed it in almost a feline way. She smiled a bit more and brought him down so that his head rested on her chest. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, listening to her heart beating.

"Daddy?" a small voice called.

"See? Good thing we stopped when we did," smirked Beast Boy as he raised himself off of Raven, to both of their disappointment. "In here!"

The door opened and in walked little Crystal looking like she'd just woken up. "I'm hungry," she announced.

"Good, cuz I ordered us food," said Beast Boy climbing off the bed and going to her. He picked her up and she tiredly rested her head on his shoulder as he brought her over to the bed where Raven lay. "It should be here soon."

"Good," commented Crystal. As soon as she was on the bed she crawled over to Raven and hugged her.

"Excited to be here?" asked Raven.

"Yeah," said Crystal. "When can we go to the beach?"

"Maybe tomorrow," said Beast Boy. "We're gonna have so much fun, just you wait."

"Can we go to a luau?" asked Crystal.

"Do you even now what that is?" asked Raven.

"Yeah, I saw one on TV," said Crystal. "Can we?"

"I think that'd be great," said Raven.

"A luau it is then," said Beast Boy with a smile. "We can do that the day after tomorrow."

"Cool," said Crystal.

There came a knock on the door and simultaneously all their stomachs growled. They looked at each other and had to laugh at that. Beast Boy went to the door and opened it. There stood a staff member of the hotel with a cart with their meals. He wheeled it in, Beast Boy tipped him, and off he went.

"What did you get me?" asked Crystal excitedly.

"Chicken fingers," said Beast Boy, placing the food on the table.

"My favorite!" she squealed and hopped off of the bed and ran to the table.

"And just what did you get me?" asked Raven.

"A club sandwich," said Beast Boy.

"Ooh, my favorite," said Raven. "You certainly know your girls."

Beast Boy smiled and handed his wife her tea. He was glad to hear her refer to herself and Crystal as _his_ girls. At first she hadn't liked the idea of him calling her that, but now she seemed to like it. And he was glad for that.

The three ate their meals and finally felt the drain and strain of the trip fade away. They looked outside and truly absorbed the view. In a way, they missed the others. It would've been great being able to share this with them. But, then again, it was nice to be alone.

"Daddy, are there any other kids around here?" asked Crystal as she ate.

"I'm sure there are," Beast Boy chuckled.

"Do you think I'm gonna make any friends?" she asked.

"How could you not?" smiled Raven. "I bet you'll make at least one really good friend here. If you're lucky you'll get to have a pen pall."

"What's that?" asked Crystal.

"It's someone who lives far away from you that you write to back and forth," said Raven.

"Why can't I just call them on the phone?" asked Crystal.

"Trust me, writing back and forth is more fun," said Raven.

Crystal just shrugged and said, "Doesn't sound all that fun to me."

"Why not?" asked Beast Boy.

"I can't write!" said Crystal plainly.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 29

Crystal squealed and laughed as she and her father splashed each other in the surf. It was a beautiful day and they were definitely taking advantage of it. Raven sat on the beach watching them and reading a book beneath the shade of an umbrella; she felt quite content watching them.

"Hey mommy-Raven!" said Crystal, waving. She waved back with a smile

"Come on, join us!" called Beast Boy. She continued to smile, but shook her head. "Why not?"

"I don't like the water," she called to them.

"But you take lots of showers!" said Crystal.

"She's got a point," laughed Beast Boy.

"That's alright, you two have fun," said Raven. She watched as the two spoke quietly to each other and then waded out of the water. "Oh no," she said, not having a very good feeling. They arrived at the blanket, dripping wet, and smiling.

"Come on, it's great!" said Crystal.

"No thanks, I'm all set," said Raven.

"Are you seriously not gonna get wet?" asked Beast Boy, hands on his hips.

"If I can," she said as he dripped onto her. "Would you mind taking a step back? You're dripping on me."

"Eh, it's not gonna matter in a second," said Beast Boy.

Raven looked at him oddly and then, in an instant, he'd grabbed her and began dragging her down the beach towards the water with her kicking and protesting all the way. Little Crystal was laughing and helping to push her father, who was holding her new mother, down to the water.

He reached the water and trudged in until he fell forward and the two, he and Raven, went under. Raven exploded up, spluttering and spitting the salt water, and looked shocked. She crawled to her feet and looked at Beast Boy and Crystal, who were smiling and laughing; obviously very amused.

"Was that necessary?" she snapped.

"Definitely," laughed Beast Boy.

"Here comes a wave!" shouted Crystal, pointing to a large wave coming.

"Ready? Jump!" Beast Boy said and the three jumped as the swell of the wave came. They were lifted high off of the sandy floor and then dropped back down.

"That was a big one!" said Crystal.

"Wanna go out a little deeper?" asked Beast Boy.

"Yeah!" said Crystal and she began swimming out.

"Beast Boy, I'm going back in," said Raven and she began to wade back in.

"Oh no you don't!" said Beast Boy. He grabbed her hand and pulled her backwards, back towards him. "This is our family vacation, so you gotta stay out here with us."

"I can't stay out in the sun too long, I'll burn," said Raven.

"You've got SPF 60 on!" he laughed. "Waterproof, SPF 60, I might add. Now come catch some waves with us!"

Raven would've protested again had he not yanked her out to see with him, chasing after Crystal who'd gone out a bit too far. He called her in and together the three of them jumped over and rode many many waves. Before she knew it, Raven was having just as much fun as her husband and new daughter.

After about an hour of play the three headed back in to the beach. Crystal was already wiped out and began to get cranky, so they decided it was time to go back to the hotel. Luckily the beach was right across the street from the hotel so it was a quick walk back. Crystal was quickly washed off and then went to her room to watch some television while her parents washed off as well and relaxed.

"I don't think we're taking full advantage of this vacation of ours," said Raven as she walked out of the bathroom in a white hotel robe while towel drying her hair. "So far we've only been to the beach and slept."

"Hey, we're relaxing," said Beast Boy, who was relaxing on their bed, watching TV. "And that's what a vacation's all about, right?"

She smiled and went through her luggage for some clothes. She got what she wanted and began to dress. Beast Boy was actually quite shocked by this. For a moment she'd actually been standing there, with her back to him of course, completely naked. He watched as she put on her undergarments then a shirt and a pair of shorts. She turned back to him when she was done and saw him staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "It's just, I can't believe you got dressed in front of me."

"Is there a problem with that?" she asked, confused.

"No, I'm just stunned that you're that comfortable with me," said Beast Boy with a smile. "You have no idea how happy that makes me feel."

"Well… you _are_ my husband," said Raven, blushing slightly. "So we're _supposed_ to feel comfortable with each other."

At that moment Beast Boy couldn't help but find her cute. He watched as she climbed onto the bed and lay down, cuddling up to him. He kissed her head and got comfortable. She was starting to feel achy and tired so she instinctively got close to him, since that seemed to make her feel better nowadays.

"I swear, that salt water wiped me out," she yawned and closed her eyes. "And I did get sunburned."

"What?! How's that possible?" he asked.

"You didn't happen to notice that the suntan lotion you got us _wasn't_ waterproof?" she said. "I'm never going to trust you with suntan lotion duty ever again."

"Crud, I'm sorry," he said. "Guess I didn't notice since Crystal and I don't tan or get sunburned." He got a good look at her and realized how pink her normally pale skin was. "Wow, you did get some sun today!"

"No shit Sherlock," she said. "I hope you realize you're going to have to go out and get me some aloe and aspirin."

"Yes, dear," he said.

She playfully hit him and said, "It's your fault so it's the least you can do."

"I know!" he said. "I was being serious when I said yes."

"Well don't call me 'dear' then," said Raven.

"Why not?" he laughed. "I think it's kinda cute."

"It's not cute, it makes me sound like I wear the pants in this relationship," said Raven.

"And you don't?" he smirked.

She gave him a look and said, "Of course I do, but we're supposed to be in denial about it."

He laughed and held her tightly, causing her to wince from her sunburn. He apologized and kissed her. He turned the television off and the two settled in for an afternoon nap. Of course, as soon as they were drifting off there was knock on their door.

"Daddy? Mommy-Raven?" she called. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," said Beast Boy.

She opened the door and entered, rubbing her eyes. "I'm tired," she said.

"Well take a nap," said Raven.

"It's too bright in my room and I can't pull the shades," she whined in a tired, cranky fashion. "Will you do it?"

"Sweetheart, we're trying to nap, too," said Beast Boy. "Just come join us."

"Okay!" she said happily and climbed into their bed. She got between the two of them and got quite comfortable. Once she was situated the three finally took their much needed nap.

A while later Beast Boy was awakened from his slumber by the sound of his communicator sounding off. He practically jumped out of the bed upon hearing it and quickly grabbed it, since it was resting on the bedside table.

"Hello?" he asked, still half asleep.

"Hey, B, it's Cy," said Cyborg with a smile. "Uh… were you sleeping?"

"Yeah, we're kind of taking a nap right now," said Beast Boy, rubbing his eyes. "We had an intense day at the beach."

"Ah, I see," said Cyborg. "Well, how're things going with Raven?"

"One sec," said Beast Boy. He gently got out of the bed, making sure not to wake his girls up, and went to Crystal's room. "Things are fine, I guess."

"Just fine?" he asked. "So, you haven't made a move, yet?"

"Haven't really had the time," said Beast Boy. "And I've got to do it right; I have to plan everything out to the smallest detail to make it a success. Crystal can't be around, Rae's got to be willing to do it, and I have to do a damn good job. It's a lot of pressure, you know?"

"Hey, relax, man," said Cyborg. "The last thing you need to feel is pressure."

"So how're things going at home?" asked Beast Boy.

"Okay," said Cyborg. "Tell Raven we miss her being our babysitter. These kids behave much better when she's around. They miss her terribly."

"She'll be glad to know they miss her," said Beast Boy. "You should've seen her today, Cy. We had her playing in the waves and she was actually having fun! Course I had to literally pick her up and throw her into the water, but once she was in she had a good time."

"Well, sounds like y'all are having a good time," said Cyborg. "Make sure to call us up if anything happens."

"Don't worry, I will," said Beast Boy. "Talk to you later, dude." And with that he hung up and headed back to his bedroom. He found them still asleep and was glad they hadn't overheard his conversation. He decided to take this time to go out and buy Raven her aloe and aspirin, not to mention a bottle of waterproof suntan lotion. He was glad she was just a little pink and not full on lobster red.

He walked down the streets and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The scenery was amazing and it was always the right temperature. He wouldn't have minded being stationed here. Next time they came he would have the whole team go.

He walked to a convenience store, bought everything he needed, and walked back. When he reentered the hotel he went to the front desk and decided to ask some questions.

"Good afternoon, sir, how may I help you?" asked a gorgeous woman behind the desk.

"Hey, I was wondering if the hotel ever does, like, kid activities," said Beast Boy. "You know, to give parents some time to themselves."

"Yes, we have a few activities for kids," said the woman. "Mondays we have a pool party day, Tuesdays we do arts and crafts, Wednesdays we have hula dancing lessons, Thursdays we have make your own pizza, Fridays we have movie night, and Saturdays we have a wonderful storyteller come in to tell Hawaiian lore."

"So is the only thing you have at night tomorrow?" asked Beast Boy, since the next day was Friday.

"Yes," said the woman.

"And how long does that last?" he asked.

"Normally we start at six and go until ten, since kids go to bed at different times and parents usually need a long break," said the woman.

"Wow, four hours being kid free?" laughed Beast Boy. "I can't imagine such a thing."

The woman smiled and said, "Well, we know parents like to go out on Fridays, so we do our best to keep the kids preoccupied and entertained."

"And they're totally safe here, right?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," said the woman. "We have nine staff members who've been hired for this very reason. All they do is plan events for the kids and make sure they're safe and happy."

"Awesome, thank you so much," said Beast Boy and with that he headed back up to his room. 'Tomorrow,' he thought to himself. 'It's gonna have to happen tomorrow between six and ten. God, please help me pull this off.'


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 30

As the sun began to set he actually began to grow nervous. It'd been a great day altogether. They'd gone shopping and done a bit of sightseeing. Raven had enjoyed that, though Crystal had been a little bored. But then they'd gone to a luau for dinner and that made her day. It had been a great experience and they'd all had a good time. At one point they invited the kids up and taught them a few hula dance moves. Afterwards they came back and now Crystal was about to go to the kids movie night down in the seminar room.

"What kinda movies are they gonna have?" asked Crystal.

"I don't know," said Beast Boy. "Probably some really good ones."

"What if I don't like them?" she asked. "Can I come back up here?"

"Uh, no," said Beast Boy, a bit uncomfortably.

"Why not?" asked Crystal.

"Because, uh, we're not gonna be here," he said.

"We're not?" asked Raven.

"Oh, hey!" he said, surprised. "I thought you were in the bathroom."

"I was," said Raven. "So where are we going?"

"Out," he said, unable to think of anything.

Raven looked at him oddly then said, "…okay."

"Come on, you don't wanna be late for the first movie," said Beast Boy grabbing his daughter's hand and leading her out of the room. Well, the night wasn't going as smoothly as he hoped, but neither had the proposal and that had worked out in the end.

Once Crystal was handed over to the staff he made sure to tell them to keep her here no matter what. They assured him that they wouldn't let her out of their sight and that helped him feel a bit better. Still nervous as hell, but at least Crystal wasn't going to be anywhere near.

He went back up to the room and found Raven going through her suitcase looking at outfits. She was beat red from her burn and would only wear loose clothing that wouldn't agitate her skin. She turned as he came in and gave him a small smile.

"Okay, so where are we going?" she asked, hoping to get an actual answer this time. "I need to know what to wear."

"Uh, actually, we're not going anywhere," he said, casually and slyly locking the door so they couldn't be disturbed. In the short time they'd been there the house keeping had barged in twice while they were there and room service had also come in without permission. Because of this, he thought it'd be best if he locked the door.

"Then why'd you tell Crystal we were?" asked Raven. "Now you've gotten my hopes up."

"I just want us to have some alone time," said Beast Boy, going to her. "And we couldn't relax if Crystal had the choice to come back here whenever she wanted. Now, shall I help you with your sunburn again?"

Raven smiled contently as her husband applied another layer of aloe to her sore sunburned skin. She'd made him do this just about every fifteen minutes since the previous evening, but he didn't mind at all. He didn't mind that she blamed him for the burn or that the night before he had had to sleep next to her aloe sticky body. Every time he applied it he got to know her body a little bit more, which was something very critical to making this night a success.

"So, are you having a good time thus far on our honeymoon?" asked Beast Boy as he spread the aloe across her back as she lay on their bed. Her upper body was completely bare, but her front was luckily out of sight.

"Yeah," she sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I guess I'm just feeling a little homesick, that's all."

"Aw, my poor Rae," he said and leaned down to kiss the back of her neck. He could feel and see goose bumps spread across her body. "Just a few more days and we'll be heading back home."

"Don't get me wrong," said Raven. "I really do love it here."

"I know," said Beast Boy. "I'm feeling a little homesick, too." He set the aloe bottle aside and lay down next to her. "How does your burn feel now?"

"Not too bad," she said. "I took some aspirin and now I can't really feel it. My body just feels a bit hot; except for my back which feels nice and cool now."

"You're welcome," he said with a smile.

She smiled back and then went to grab her shirt, but he stopped her. She turned to ask what he was doing, but he quickly leaned in and kissed her. She was quite caught off guard by this and felt her whole body tingle with shock and excitement. She quickly pulled herself away from him.

"W-What're you doing?" she asked. "I don't have a shirt on."

"So?" he said. "You said yesterday that you were comfortable being bare in front of me."

"I never said anything about being bare and kissing," she said, moving a little bit away from him.

"Rae, why are you so nervous?" he asked softly, placing his hand over hers. "Don't you trust me?"

"W-Yes, of course," she said. "It's just, I've never done anything beyond what we've done together."

"I know," he said, moving closer to her since she'd moved away. "And I know that this kind of stuff makes you feel uncomfortable but I want to help you see that it's alright. It's alright to get close and it's alright to be intimate. As long as you trust me I'll take care of you, okay?"

Raven bit her lip and said, "I'm just… scared."

"You don't have to be," he said. "I'll never make you do anything you don't feel comfortable with. You're in charge, okay? When you want to stop you just tell me and we'll stop. But at least take the chance. For me?"

He looked deep into her eyes and she felt all her nerves silenced in his gaze. She felt calm and, well, safe. She took in a breath and then nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" he said. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said, feeling her heart race and hearing her inner voice telling her to stop.

He gave her a smile, said, "Good," then leaned in and kissed her. He kissed her softly and slowly made them a bit more meaningful. This was it, if he was going to complete his mission it was now or never.

Before Raven knew it thing were starting to get very intimate and she felt she should tell him to stop, but that part of her seemed paralyzed. She felt another part of her, a secret suppressed part, push forward and refuse her from backing out now. It pushed her onward and clouded her mind so that she could no longer think but could only live in the moment being created by her and her husband. She felt feelings, emotions, and rushes she'd never experienced before and couldn't help but enjoy and bask in the ecstasy.

Beast Boy really couldn't believe she didn't stop him. He thought for certain right when it was going to seem a sure thing she'd call a stop to everything and the night would be a failure. But she hadn't. He actually saw and felt a side of her he'd only gotten glimpses of before when they had deeply kissed. He nearly forgot that she was the same innocent, inexperienced Raven who had only minutes before been so shy and nervous.

Now he lay resting, holding her exhausted body in his arms. Well, she'd survived. The worries of her heart giving out during the act were now finally put to rest. She actually looked better than ever, other than the fact that her sunburned body was peppered with sweat and she was deep asleep.

He looked upon her and though he knew he should feel relaxed and happy that he'd gotten the job done, he was actually more nervous than ever. Now it was a waiting game. According to Nightwing and Cyborg within hours she would technically be pregnant and be cured for perhaps the next two decades. These next few hours were going to be horrible, he knew.

"Please, God, please," he prayed quietly. "Help me out here. I got Terra pregnant while she was on the pill, this should be a sure thing. I love her, God, I really love her. Please don't take her away from me. Let this happen." He held her close and decided to rest as well.

Two hours later he awoke and took a shower while Raven continued to sleep. He quickly threw some clothes on and went downstairs to see how Crystal was doing. He felt a bit guilty for unloading her on the staff so he could be intimate with his wife, but he figured that was what most parents did on vacations.

He made it to the seminar room and saw that there was a large screen set up with an animated movie playing on it. On the floor were dozens of blankets and pillows, supplied by the hotel, and children lying all over them. There were snacks all over the place as well as games. No matter what, the staff was to keep the kids entertained.

He spotted Crystal playing a game with a group of kids. It was quite apparent she was the one in charge by the way she was talking and gesturing to the kids she was playing with. It wasn't long before she looked up and spotted him.

"Daddy, you're back!" said Crystal, running over to her father.

"Hey, you having a good time?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I wanna leave," she said. "I'm tired."

"Alright, come on," he said, picking her up.

"Can mommy-Raven read me a story?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"She's already asleep," said Beast Boy.

"Sheesh, she goes to bed really early sometimes," said Crystal. "Can you read me a story, then?"

"Of course," he said.

They made it back to their suite and he got her ready for bed. He tucked her in and picked out one of the books Crystal had packed. He barely got to the third page and she was already passed out. He had to hand it to the staff; they certainly knew how to keep the kids occupied and tire them out.

He walked around the dark, quiet suite unsure of what he should do now. He wasn't really tired, since he'd just napped and taken a shower, so he decided to go out for a walk. He left a little note on his pillow, just incase Raven woke up and saw that he was gone, and then headed out.

He walked along the beach letting the sand cushion his feet, since he took off his shoes. He walked close to the shoreline until he was ankle deep. The sound of the water rushing in and out was soothing and helped ease his nerves. He walked out of the water and took a seat in the sand, staring at the moon. The night air was warm and a comforting breeze blew past him.

As he sat there he ran his fingers through the sand and found a few shells. He picked them up and examined them in the moonlight. He then tossed them into the water and even attempted to skip a few. He then leaned back and took in a deep breath.

And just like that he felt a sort of peace come over him. He felt like something was telling him everything was going to be alright. He wasn't sure what was telling him this but he felt its comforting embrace cover him like a blanket. It was going to be okay. He just knew it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 31

The warm sunshine shined in through the window and made her sleeping face glow. She sighed and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She snuggled into her pillow for a moment and then turned over. Beast Boy lay on his stomach with his arm spread out across her. His face was partly in his pillow and he snored deeply. She smiled, leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek.

She gently slid his arm off of her and sat up. She stretched and let the warm sunshine kiss her bare skin. She was certainly glad their suite was high enough that she could be bare in front of the window and not worry about anyone seeing her. She stood up and grabbed her robe that lay on the back of one of the chairs. She wrapped around her body and then headed for the bathroom.

She felt very good for some reason and very content. She looked in the mirror and saw that her still red face looked quite relaxed. She found this a nice change and smiled. She turned the shower on and took her robe off, hanging it on a hook on the door. She stepped in and began to hum to herself as she bathed.

Beast Boy awoke and found himself alone in his bed. He looked around and then realized the shower was on. He relaxed back into the bed for a moment and rubbed his tired face with his hands. He closed his eyes and wondered if he could get in another few minutes of sleep. He was shocked to hear the sound of humming through the shower. The only time he ever heard Raven hum was when she was _extremely_ content. He smiled and felt very good. He wasn't sure if Raven was pregnant or not, but it didn't matter if it worked. She was happy and that's all he wanted for her.

Soon she was finished and he watched as she exited with her robe back on. Having gone into the bathroom with him fast asleep, when she came out and saw him sitting up and staring right at her she was quite startled and gave a small yelp of surprise.

"Whoa, you okay?" he laughed as he saw her reaction.

"Yeah," she said, regaining her composure. "I thought you'd still be asleep."

"Just woke up," he said, stretching again. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," she said with a smile, going to her suitcase to grab some clothes. "Very good, as a matter of fact."

"Well, that's good," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and then standing up. He moved past her and into the bathroom to relieve himself. Once he was done he went to check how bad his bed head was in the mirror and noticed something very odd. The mirror was cracked. He found this very strange and exited to find Raven in her bra and panties getting dressed.

"Uh, did you see the mirror?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"Well it's cracked," he said.

"It's cracked?" she said, looking at him oddly.

"Yeah, it's broken," he said.

"Let me see," she said, going into the bathroom. She looked at it and was shocked. "When'd that happen?"

"You didn't notice that?" he asked.

"No, it was fine when I got in the shower," she said.

"Wow, that's weird," said Beast Boy, scratching his head.

"Oh well," said Raven, going back to dressing. "It's just a mirror." She held a shirt up and looked at it before placing it back down and reaching for another.

He looked at her and felt that sense of peace come over him again. He went over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck. She jumped at his sudden attack on her neck and almost simultaneously one of the bedside lamps broke. They both jumped when this happened and looked at the broken lamp.

"What the hell?" said Raven.

"Did that lamp just break for no reason?" asked Beast Boy.

"Looks like it," said Raven. "What in the world is going on?"

Beast Boy felt his heart race as old memories came back to him. There was only one reason random objects would combust, break, or melt when Raven was around. Could it really be? Had it happened? Well, only one way to find out. He grabbed Raven by the waist, said a silent prayer, and began to tickle her.

"Ah! What're you doing!" she yelled/laughed.

One of the pillows exploded and showered them in pillows. Raven screamed and this only allowed the windows to crack. She covered her mouth with her hand and backed right away from the whole area.

"What the hell's going on?" she said, quite freaked out and upset.

"Oh my God, it worked!" Beast Boy practically screamed in shock and delight.

"What worked?!" she yelled in anger and confusion causing the other lamp to break.

"Raven, calm down," he said, going to her.

"No! You tell me what's going on!" she said, backing all the way up to the wall.

"I will, just calm down," he said.

Their room door opened and in walked Crystal looking very confused. "What's going on?" she asked, having heard yelling, screaming, and objects breaking from her own little room.

"That's what I want to know!" said Raven.

"Everything's okay," said Beast Boy calmly. "Crystal, go back to your room."

"But I wanna know what's going on," she said.

"Go," he said, pointing back to her room in a very fatherly tone. She rolled her eyes and did as she was told. He turned back to Raven who looked very scared and very confused. "Hey, you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" she snapped at him.

He couldn't help but smile and wrapped his arms around her again. "I'm so happy," he said, tears invading his eyes. "This is the best day of my life!"

"I'm so confused," said Raven, growing even more scared.

"I know," he said releasing her. "I know, but I'll explain. I'll explain everything."

And so he sat her down and slowly explained it all. He didn't leave out a single detail and made sure she understood everything. He watched as many things clicked in her mind and she made the same realizations that they'd made and came to the same conclusions. By the end she understood it all and was in shock.

"So this means…" she said, trying to wrap her mind around it all.

"Yeah, you're cured!" he said with a smile.

"This means…" she started again.

"You have your powers back!" he said.

"No!" she said, shutting him up. "This means… I'm… pregnant?"

He smiled and said, "Yes, you are. Only a couple hours pregnant, but still pregnant."

She smiled and then did something that Beast Boy had only seen her do months before when she felt as if she was close to death. She began to cry. But this time she was not crying out of despair but out of shock and joy. He smiled and took her into his arms and this time she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.

After that Raven chose to practice her meditating again, since it had been years since she'd done any, and Beast Boy decided to explain what was going on to Crystal who was still waiting in her room.

"So what's going on?" she asked very dramatically as she crossed her arms in an exasperated way.

"Well, first of all, nothing bad," he said with a smile as he went and sat down on her bed. "In fact, today is a very good day."

"Why?" asked Crystal. "All I heard was stuff breaking and mommy-Raven screaming."

"She was just excited, that's all," said Beast Boy. "You see, she's not sick anymore."

"She's not?" said Crystal, her little head tilting in a curious manner.

"Nope," he said with a smile. "We've finally cured her so she's all better. Not only that, she's even got her superpowers back. Do you remember I told you she had powers?"

"Yeah!" said Crystal. "And I saw her use them in those old videos of you guys when you were teenagers. Does that mean she's gonna go out and fight crime again?"

"Eventually," said Beast Boy. "But, actually, there's something else I need to tell you."

"What?" asked Crystal, growing curious once again.

"Well, mommy-Raven," he began, feeling very nervous about how Crystal was going to react to this news, "is going to have a baby."

Crystal looked at him as if he had lobsters coming out of his ears. "A baby?" she said. "When?"

"Well, not for quite a while, actually," said Beast Boy.

Crystal took this in and then said, "Aren't you supposed to be fat if you're gonna have a baby?"

Beast Boy had to laugh at that and said, "Well, in the end, yeah, but not in the beginning. The baby isn't coming for another nine months."

"Wow, that's a long time," said Crystal. "So what's this baby gonna be to me?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well is it gonna be like my cousin or something?" she asked, confused.

"No!" laughed Beast Boy. "It'll be your brother or sister."

Crystal's eyes went wide and she jumped up on the bed in realization. "I'm gonna have a little brother or a sister?!" she said excitedly.

"That's right," he said, happy with her response.

"Yes!" she shouted and began jumping about. "I always wanted a brother or sister! I hope I get a sister! I need to tell Nicole! Can I call her?"

"Uh, sure, if you want," he said. "Let me get my communicator."

He left her room, while she was still jumping about, and went back into him and Ravens room. He came upon a sight he had not seen in six years. Raven was hovering in the air, meditating as if nothing had ever changed; as if the last six years had never happened. He couldn't wait for the others to see.

He grabbed his communicator and went into the bathroom before giving it to Crystal. He dialed Nightwing's connection and waited.

"Beast Boy?" he answered.

"Hey, NW," he said with a soft smile. "How's everything going?"

"Everything's fine here," said Nightwing. "How's everything there?"

"Oh, you know, perfect," said Beast Boy. "Absolutely perfect."

"Absolutely perfect?" said Nightwing. "What does that mean? Are you saying… it worked?"

"It worked!" said Beast Boy victoriously. "She's meditating as we speak."

"Are you serious?!" said Nightwing uncharacteristically happy. "So she's pregnant?"

"She must be," said Beast Boy. "She woke up this morning and her powers were back and she feels fine."

"So that means last night you, uh, you know?" he asked.

"Dude, did you really need to ask that?" Beast Boy laughed. "And, yes, we did, obviously. Now hand the communicator to Nicole. Crystal wants to tell her some great news."


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 32

Upon arriving back at the tower the little Logan family was met with quite a large party. Raven felt very embarrassed but couldn't help being very appreciative to everyone. The last few days had seemed a blur to her and she was still questioning whether or not this was all real.

"Oh, Raven, I am so happy for you," said Starfire, hugging her tightly. "You are certain you are pregnant, correct?"

"Well I can't take a pregnancy test for about another two weeks, so I'm not completely sure," said Raven, pulling out of Starfire's grasp. "But if Nightwing and Cyborg's theory is right I should be."

"Ooh, come on, do some dark energy stuff!" said Bumblebee.

"Yeah, I need proof that you're well again," said Cyborg.

Raven sighed and said, "Fine." She concentrated and lifted the couch off the ground and then set it back down. "There. Satisfied?"

"Wow, that was so cool!" said Taye.

"I've never seen anything like that afore!" said Nicole.

"Raven, I think you should go for a complete medical checkup to make sure everything's okay," said Nightwing. "You're heart was failing only a few days ago, so we better be sure you're alright."

"Okay," said Raven. "Can I go put my luggage away now?"

"Yeah, dudes, let us get settled in before you start badgering us for info," said Beast Boy.

"Okay, go put your stuff away but come right back," said Bumblebee. "I want to know everything you did in Hawaii."

Beast Boy and Raven went to their room, Crystal chose to drop everything at the door and go play with Nicole and Taye, to unpack. They each felt overwhelmed by the enthusiastic welcome they'd received and actually wanted nothing more than to go to bed for a few hours.

"Feels good to be back," said Beast Boy as he threw his suitcase on the bed and proceeded to open it.

"I'll say," said Raven. "But I'd love to go back sometime. It really was great."

"I'm glad you had such a good time," said Beast Boy.

"It's a trip I'll never forget," said Raven with a smile.

Beast Boy smiled and said, "So, how're you feeling?"

"Fine," she said. "I haven't felt this good in a long time."

"Well enjoy it while it lasts," said Beast Boy. "Cuz in the next few weeks you're gonna start to feel downright rotten."

"Pregnancy symptoms, right?" said Raven.

"Oh yeah," said Beast Boy. "You better start reading up on it so you're prepared."

"Beast Boy, I worked in a library for years," said Raven. "I've read nearly every book on pregnancy. I know what I'm in for and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

"Yeah, I'm gonna quote you on that when you're bent over the toilet throwing up," said Beast Boy. "You'll be crying and blaming me and wishing you'd die instead of this, I can see it already."

"I promise, I'm not going to do anything like that," said Raven.

"Raven, I'm telling you-" Beast Boy began.

"Don't you understand?" she said, cutting him off. "This is my biggest dream, Beast Boy. This was all I've ever really wanted. I'm going to be grateful for every horrible, wonderful, miserable, miraculous moment."

Beast Boy smiled and said, "Well this should be an interesting nine months then."

Once they were done unpacking they went back to the others to tell them about their trip. It didn't take long for the men and women to separate and talk about what they _really_ wanted to talk about. The men took Beast Boy into the kitchen and the women kept Raven in the living room area. The two wondered if they'd ever get to be together while in the tower, since their friends seemed determined to split them up.

"So was it all romantic?" asked Bumblebee as they all took a seat on the couch.

"The trip?" asked Raven.

"Yeah, the trip," said Bumblebee, sarcastically. "No! I'm talking 'bout your first time!"

"Oh," said Raven, instantly breaking into a deep blush and melting a few objects in the kitchen.

"Bumblebee, that is not appropriate," said Starfire in a scolding voice. She then instantly changed moods and said, "But I would be lying if I said I was not curious as well!"

Raven sighed and knew she had to give them something or they'd never leave her alone. "All I'm going to say is that I've never experienced anything like it," she said simply. "And, yes, considering the circumstances, it was romantic. Now let's talk about something else."

In the kitchen Cyborg and Nightwing were no better with their questions.

"I've got to admit, B, I didn't think you had it in you," said Cyborg, patting his green friend on the back. "I thought you knocking up Terra was a total fluke."

"You pulled through, Beast Boy," said Nightwing with a smile. "I'm proud of you."

"Did you guys really think I was going to screw it up?" asked Beast Boy a little upset. "After all of that pep talk and supporting me did you really think I wasn't going to do it?"

"We were just nervous, that's all," said Cyborg.

"Look, before we all start celebrating I think we should wait until we're absolutely sure she's pregnant," said Beast Boy. "I mean, for all we know the only reason she's better is because she's not a virgin anymore."

"Huh, didn't think of that," said Cyborg.

"Well, even if that's the case, the point is that she's better now," said Nightwing. "And if she's not pregnant then at least you now know she's well enough to get pregnant. Either way, I think you should think positively."

"Yeah, man, you and Raven have a future now!" said Cyborg.

"Yeah… we do," said Beast Boy with a smile.

Back with the women.

"Do you feel any different yet?" asked Bumblebee.

"No," said Raven. "I mean, other than having my powers back and feeling relieved I'm not going to die, I feel pretty normal."

"Well, do not worry," said Starfire. "When you begin to feel the symptoms of pregnancy we shall take care of you. We have experienced it before."

"Yeah, and it's _not_ fun," said Bumblebee.

"I know but, like I told Beast Boy, I'm not going to complain," said Raven. "I wanted this so badly I wouldn't dream about saying anything negative and risk it all being taken away from me."

"Then we'll make you as comfortable as possible," said Bumblebee. "And you don't have to worry about any baby stuff, we've still got everything saved and in storage."

"And I shall throw you a lovely baby shower!" said Starfire, clapping.

"Well if you guys already have all the baby things I need then I don't need one," said Raven.

"Oh, no, you're having a baby shower," said Bumblebee. "You're going to have the entire first baby experience. We'll just wrap up everything and pretend it's new. That sound like a compromise?"

"Well, I guess," said Raven.

"Wonderful," said Starfire. "I shall start making the preparations at once!"

"Starfire, I'm only a few days pregnant," said Raven. "I think it's a little early to start planning out the shower."

"Oh, no, I need all the time I can get!" said Starfire. "I only have nine months to prepare!" And with that she flew off.

"She needs nine months to plan out a baby shower?" said Raven.

"It's best to just sit back and let her do what she wants," said Bumblebee.

"I know," Raven sighed.

Back with the men.

"So I bet you want a boy this time," said Cyborg with a smirk.

"Boys are definitely different from girls," said Nightwing. "But, if I can give you some advice, try having just one. Two is a little overwhelming."

"Dudes, I really don't care what we have," said Beast Boy. "As long as the baby and Raven are healthy I'll be happy."

"Come on, you've got to be leaning one way," said Cyborg.

"Seriously, I don't care," said Beast Boy. "Crystal's great so I wouldn't mind having another girl, since I know how to deal with them. And if we have a boy that'd be great because then I'd have one of each. Either way I'm going to be happy."

"Well, I've got to tell you the truth, I don't think I've seen you this happy in years," said Nightwing.

Beast Boy smiled and said, "I haven't felt this happy in years. I just feel, I don't know, complete now. I made a promise to Raven and I kept it. I actually saved someone I love's life. I think I have a damn good reason to finally feel happy."

"Damn right you do!" said Cyborg with a smile.

"And other than the fact that you have to take extra special care of Raven now that she's pregnant, you can finally relax," said Nightwing. "And this time we can really help you out, since we've all had experience with this."

Once the men and women were satisfied with the conversations they'd had with Raven and Beast Boy they all joined together once again. The children were running around wearing the flower leis that the Logans had brought home for everyone and now there were flower petals everywhere. Raven was very happy to be reunited with all of the children and they were just as glad to see her. But no one was as happy as Jack and Eric.

"Hello boys," said Raven as she picked them both up. They wrapped their arms around her and gave her big, sloppy kisses.

"They have missed you terribly," said Starfire.

"They really behave much better when you're around," said Nightwing.

Raven set the boys down and was instantly bombarded with the other children.

"Auntie Raven, can you read us a story?" asked Nicole, holding up a large, brand new storybook. "We got a new book!"

"Alright," said Raven. "Let's go sit on the couch."

"No, we want you to read it to us in the playroom," said Taye.

"In the playroom?" said Raven.

"Yeah, it's all different!" said Crystal. "I just saw it. It's really cool!"

"It's different?" asked Raven.

"Yeah, we sort of finished Crystal's room for you and then decided to redo the playroom, too," said Cyborg.

"You finished Crystal's room?" asked Beast Boy.

"Yeah, it's so cool!" said Crystal. "Come on, come see!" She grabbed her father's hand and began dragging him out of the common room towards her room. The rest of the group decided to go as well.

"Wow," said Beast Boy upon seeing his daughter's newly painted and slightly modified room.

"Isn't it great?!" said Crystal with a large smile. "It's perfect now."

"It's definitely you," said Raven.

"Now come see the playroom!" said Nicole, grabbing Ravens hand and leading her out of Crystal's room.

The playroom had been completely redone. Instead of being a random room that was filled with toys it looked much homier. There was a thick blue carpet on the ground and each wall was a different color and had a different theme, which each child got to pick out so they had their own specific wall to be proud of. The toys were now organized and far easier to find. And there was even a large, comfy futon on the corner near a small library. This was not only to be the reading corner, but also for if the kids had a friend over.

"See? Now you can read to us here!" said Nicole, a large smile on her face.

"We set it up just for that reason," said Bumblebee.

"Come on, mommy-Raven, read to us," said Crystal, taking her stepmother's hand and pulling her over to the futon. Raven sat down and all the kids cuddled around her. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt so at home in her entire life.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 33

Beast Boy waited outside of their bathroom, unsure of what to do exactly. For a few seconds he paced around, but realized there was no point in it. He sat down on the bed, but within five seconds knew he couldn't keep still. So now he was simply standing, slightly rocking back and forth on his heels, with his hands in his pockets. Finally Raven stepped out and closed the door behind her. She gave him a small, nervous grin and joined him in looking anxious.

"So, how long do we have to wait?" he asked.

"The box said ten minutes," said Raven.

"And how many did you do?" he asked.

"All three," she said. "That way we'll be absolutely sure."

It'd been exactly thirteen days since the hopeful conception and now they were going to find out for sure. Inside the bathroom lay three pregnancy tests that were going to tell them their fate. The two weren't sure they'd ever been so nervous before.

"Beast Boy?" she said to break the silence between them.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"What if… what if I'm… not?" she said, looking at the floor, nervously.

He wrapped her in his arms and said, "Then we keep trying until you are."

"But, if I'm not, what does that mean for my health?" she asked, melting into his touch.

"Well, we can't really be sure that Cy and NW's theory is right," said Beast Boy, rubbing her back affectionately. "I mean, like I told them, for all we know you could be all better because you're not a virgin anymore."

"If that's the case then I'll never forgive myself for being such a prude," said Raven.

Beast Boy laughed. "Hey, you were saving yourself for the perfect guy," he said.

"Too bad I had to settle for you," she fake sighed.

"Hey!" he said. "I'll have you know I'm just about as perfect a guy as you can get."

"Yeah, because my ideal man is green with pointed ears and an ego larger than his fat head," said Raven, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, is this the part in the marriage were you start degrading me?" he said.

"When have I not degraded you?" she chuckled.

"True," he said.

A few more minutes past and Beast Boy couldn't help looking at the clock every twenty seconds. The two had converted Ravens room into one for the both of them and Cyborg had even thrown together a nice bathroom suite for them. They decided to convert Beast Boy's room into a nursery for the baby; if there was going to be a baby.

"How much longer?" asked Raven, holding her arms.

"Two minutes," her husband answered. She nodded and continued to look at the floor. She then let out a yawn and closed her eyes, leaning against the wall. "You tired?"

"Yeah," she said. "I swear I'm still suffering from jetlag."

"I don't think jetlag lasts two weeks," he said.

"You never know," she shrugged.

Finally the two minutes were up and it was time. When Beast Boy told her it was time to see the results poor Raven found her feet frozen to the floor. She finally gathered up the strength and moved towards the bathroom. She slid the door open and urged herself to pass through the doorway. Beast Boy was right behind her and was equally as nervous. She went to the sink, where she'd rested the tests, and picked all three up. She took in a deep breath, said a prayer, let it out, and looked down at the results on each stick one by one.

Beast Boy felt as if his stomach had dropped and time stood still as he watched her look down at the tests. He looked from the tests to her then back to the tests, waiting for her to say something.

"Well?" he said, at last.

Ravens face seemed to collapse on itself and she placed it into her palms, tests in hand and all. He sighed and felt a heavy weight on his heart. Several items in the bathroom were encased in a black aura and either exploded or melted away.

"Aw, Rae," he said, sadly. "It's okay, we can-"

She looked up from her hands and, to his astonishment, she was smiling!

"It worked!" she said, victoriously.

"What?" he said, confused.

"I'm pregnant!" she said, throwing her arms around him. Startled, for a second he just stood there. Then he finally realized what was going on and wrapped his arms around her, smiling as well.

"Oh my God!" he said. "Don't ever do that to me again!" He pulled her back a little and kissed her deeply, to which she gladly reciprocated. "I thought you were upset because it was negative!"

"No," she said. "I'm just… I'm so happy." Everything in the bathroom was shaking, flying about, melting, or exploding. Needless to say they quickly moved out of there before Cyborg needed to redo their new bathroom.

"Alright," said Beast Boy. "First thing you need to do is calm down. Your powers are all attached to your emotions again, remember?"

"You're right," she said, wiping her tears of joy away. "I should focus before I ruin the tower."

"Good," he said. "Once you're all relaxed and calm we'll go tell everyone."

"Okay," she said, agreeing. The two looked at each other and they couldn't help smiling. They then leaned in and kissed again. This kiss lasted for some time and both felt quite content. A wave of relief spread over them and they finally felt like life was looking up.

After Raven meditated for a few minutes the two left their room to inform everyone that it was official. As they walked down the hall they held hands and walked very close together. Never had they felt so connected and pleasant in each others' company. It was as if their past grievances had never happened; that they'd never quarreled and bickered as teenagers. He saw her with new eyes as did she with him. It had been a long, rocky, and unstable road, but they'd made it to the end. And what had been waiting for them had been well worth the wait. But, then again, love always is.

The common room doors opened and spread about the room stood all of the adults and most of the children since two were still in school. Ravens heart raced and she felt excitement overcome her at the pending reveal. She thought that perhaps they'd go up to their friends one at a time and tell them the good news. But her husband had other ideas.

"We're pregnant!" he yelled at the top of his lungs from atop the stairs that led down to the common room. Everyone turned and now all of their attention lay on the couple. Raven felt her self blush and placed her hand over her eyes at her husband's poor choice of how to announce the news. All at once their beloved friends flocked to them and they were quickly enveloped in hugs and congratulations.

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Starfire as she wrapped her arms around Raven. "I am so happy for you!"

"You're absolutely sure?" asked Cyborg.

"Yup, 100 positive," said Beast Boy with a smile.

"Well thank God!" exclaimed Bumblebee. "We can all finally breathe again."

"And we can finally give your doctor a call and tell him you're cured," said Nightwing with a smile.

"I'm sure he and his team will be quite upset," said Raven with a small smile. "Did you ever tell him your theory?"

"No, but I'm going to," said Nightwing. "I'm sure he and the rest of the doctors will be stunned at how obvious your diagnosis was."

"Speaking of doctors, we've got to get you set up with an obstetrician," said Beast Boy. "Now that we know you're actually pregnant we've got a lot of stuff to do."

"And just when I thought I'd get a moment to relax and bask in the fact I'm no longer dying," Raven sighed.

"Welcome to motherhood," said Bumblebee, putting her arm around her.

"Oh, I am so happy my plans for the baby shower have not been for naught," said Starfire. "It will be most spectacular, I promise!"

"I'm sure it will be," said Raven as she yawned. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to go lie down."

"We've got our first symptom!" said Bumblebee. "Fatigue!"

"Oh my God, duh!" said Beast Boy in realization. "Why didn't I think of that? Okay, time for you to get to bed." He wrapped his arm in hers and proceeded to lead her out of the common room and back to their room.

"Why do I have this funny feeling every time I feel the slightest symptom it's going to be noted and celebrated?" said Raven.

"Because it will be," Beast Boy chuckled.

"But I'm not the first one in the tower to get pregnant," said Raven. "I'm the last. This should all be boring by now."

"It would be if it wasn't _you_," said Beast Boy. "Not to mention that we never thought we'd have any more babies in the tower. We thought the twins were it. So we're all excited we're gonna have another baby around here."

They reached their bedroom and Raven was put down for her nap. Beast Boy would've loved to stay with her, but he had to pick up Crystal at school. So he gave her a quick kiss and ran out of there so he wouldn't be late. Raven was actually grateful to be left alone for a little while.

She lay in bed with a soft, subtle smile resting on her lips. As happy as they'd been these past two weeks they knew they couldn't really count all their eggs just yet. But now that it was confirmed that she was pregnant she finally felt relieved and exhausted from the anticipation. Her biggest dream had finally come true; she was going to have a baby and the family she'd always wanted.

As this realization came over her she suddenly became very scared. Things were never this good for very long; they could only go down from here. She could have a miscarriage. She could begin dying again. She could destroy the city when her mood swings kicked in and be hated and have to leave Earth forever and end up dying alone on some godforsaken planet! She shook these thoughts away and knew she was thinking far too much. She decided that the best thing to do, for now, was to be thankful for this blessing and to take things as they came.

When Beast Boy returned with Crystal it was clear that he was in a very good mood. He had a grin from ear to ear and looked like he was walking on air. Even Crystal could tell he was happy, though she wasn't exactly sure why. She'd already been told her mommy-Raven was pregnant, so to tell her that they hadn't been sure before and now they were sure would've been a waste of breath, since the result was the same in the end.

"Daddy, when's mommy-Raven getting up from her nap?" asked Crystal.

"I don't know," said Beast Boy. "Why?"

"Well I wanna bring her to story time to read to us," she said. "A lot of the kids in my class know her from the library."

"I'm sure she'll say yes," said Beast Boy. "Anything I can do?"

"Can I bring you in for show and tell?" she asked.

"Why? Because I'm a superhero?" he asked with a proud grin.

"No, cuz we all want a classroom pet," said Crystal with an innocent smile. "And you can be any pet we want!"

"Is that all I am to you?" he said. "Someone who can turn into animals? What about how I've saved the city a bunch of times?"

"Well, Uncle Cy says he does all the work when you go off to fight the bad guys," said Crystal, shrugging.

"What?!" said Beast Boy. "Cyborg!"


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 34

Raven couldn't believe how quickly time was going by. Not too long after her pregnancy was confirmed her symptoms began to appear one by one. Parts of her body began to feel more sensitive and she found it harder and harder to keep her emotions in control. So she spent most of her time meditating to make sure she didn't destroy too many objects. Soon after that she began to feel sick most if not all of the time. When she wasn't meditating she was in the bathroom sick; it didn't take long for her to just meditate in the bathroom to save her the trip. Within a few weeks she felt absolutely miserable, but grateful at the same time.

And now she was already in her third month. She still felt sick and irritable most of the time, but she could tell her symptoms were starting to fade a bit now. And she was even starting to show, which surprised her. Everyone in the tower, excluding the children, helped her and gave her advice. She got sick of this rather quickly and now only wanted to be alone. She wanted to have her own time with the little life growing inside of her and not have to block out all of their incessant talking.

Had Beast Boy not been through this before he would've thought Raven hated him and this marriage would never last. But, since he had, he completely understood why she hated him one second and was begging for him not to leave her the next. He just made sure to do whatever she asked, no matter how many times she changed her mind in ten minutes.

He slowly cracked his bedroom door open and peered inside. "Raven?" he said. He spotted her meditating above their bed.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I brought you a snack," he said with a sweet grin, hoping she wasn't going to bite his head off.

"Good," she said, lowering onto her bed. "I'm starving."

Relieved, he gladly went inside smiling. "Cool, I made you a peanut butter and banana sandwich," he said. "I overheard you telling Star you were craving one."

"I love you," she said in an appreciative tone. She gladly took the sandwich and ate it hungrily. "Did you bring me some milk to wash this down with?"

"Of course!" he said, handing her a tall glass of cold milk. She grabbed it out of his hands and downed half of it at once. "How're you feeling?"

"Sick, tired, my breasts are sore, and I have to pee every three minutes," she said. "But other than that, fine."

"Well, we've got an appointment in an hour," he said.

"I know," she said in a tone that let him know she wasn't as stupid and forgetful as he judged her to be.

"Okay, just thought I'd mention it," he said, knowing to back down. "You excited to see the baby?"

"Yes," she said with a small smile. "I can't wait to hear the heartbeat."

"Yeah, that's really cool," said Beast Boy. "But it's really fast. First time I heard Crystal's heartbeat I thought something was wrong."

"I wish we could find out what we're having," said Raven. "We have to wait another whole month to know if we're having a boy or a girl."

"Which would you rather have?" he asked. "A boy or a girl?"

"I don't know," she said. "I've given it a lot of thought and I'm still not sure. I would love to have a girl because I love Crystal and to have a little girl of my own would be nice. Plus I know Crystal would love a little sister. But I'd also love to have a boy because it'd be a different experience and we'd get to have one of each. Not to mention every man needs a son and I'd love to give you one."

"Rae, as long as you and the baby are healthy I'll be happy," he said with a smile and kissed her. "Besides, if we don't have a boy or a girl this time we can always have another."

"Wow, that's true," said Raven, realizing this. "We can have more than one. Depending on how this pregnancy turns out, of course."

"I'm sure it's going to be fine," he said. "Now, finish your sandwich so we can go hear the baby."

Raven nodded and quickly finished her snack. They then quickly got ready and headed off to their appointment. Crystal begged to come along as well and they couldn't see any harm in that. So, the whole family went to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time.

"Okay, just lie down on the bed and Dr. Marco will be right with you," said the receptionist as she showed the Logan family into one of the rooms.

"You get to lie down at the doctor's?" asked Crystal. "I've always gotta sit up and then I get a shot when I go to my checkup."

"This is a different kind of checkup," said Raven, sitting on the bed and then lying down.

"Oh," said Crystal. She looked around the room and saw a machine with a monitor. "Hey, what's that? Is that a TV?"

"That's where you're gonna get to see the baby," said Beast Boy, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "You're just gonna see a bunch of blobs, but the doctor will point out which blob is the baby."

"My baby brother or sister is a blob?!" said Crystal, shocked and frightened.

"Of course not," said Raven. "That's just what it's going to look like on the screen."

"Oh," said Crystal, relieved.

A few minutes later Dr. Marco finally appeared and the checkup got underway. She was a sweet woman in her forties with auburn hair and subtle laugh lines already around her mouth. She'd been Terra's doctor when she was pregnant with Crystal and Beast Boy had thought she'd done a good job, so he asked for her again this time through with Raven.

"Alright, are you ready to hear the baby's heartbeat?" she asked with a smile as she got the equipment ready."

"Yes, very much so," said Raven, excitedly.

"Okay, here we go," said Dr. Marco. She placed a sensor on Ravens abdomen and began to turn different switches on. Suddenly the room was filled with a loud, quick, and various swooshing sounds. Poor Crystal jumped she was so startled and grabbed onto her father.

"Wow, that's loud," said Raven.

"Yes, but it's being magnified, remember," said Dr. Marco with a smile.

"Huh, that sounds different from what I remember," said Beast Boy.

Dr. Marco listened closely and then said, "Well, how about we take a look inside?"

"Am I gonna see the blobs now?" asked Crystal.

"Yup," said Beast Boy.

Dr. Marco turned the monitor on and began to move the sensor around Raven's stomach. Various blobs came onto the screen and they each wondered how Dr. Marco could tell what blob was what.

"What is all that?" asked Crystal, curiously.

"That's mommy-Raven's insides," said Beast Boy.

"Like her guts?" asked Crystal.

"Exactly," laughed her father.

"Okay, let's find the owner of the heartbeat," said Dr. Marco, looking at the monitor closely. She moved the sensor around and her brow furrowed.

"Well?" asked Raven, looking at the screen.

"Hold on," said Dr. Marco, looking around some more.

"Are you sure she knows which blob's the baby?" Crystal whispered to her father.

"Shh," said Beast Boy, who was curious as to why Dr. Marco hadn't said anything yet.

"Well, heh, you're not going to believe this," said Dr. Marco.

"What? Is the baby okay?" asked Raven, growing scared which allowed the blinds on the window to break off of their hinges and fall to the floor.

"Yes, everything's fine," said Dr. Marco. "But you were right when you said the heartbeat sounded different, Mr. Logan."

"What's going on?" asked Beast Boy.

"Oh my God," said Raven in realization. "Is it twins?"

"Twins?!" said Beast Boy, shocked.

"Twins?!" said Crystal, excitedly.

"No," said Dr. Marco, laughed. "You're not having twins."

"Oh," said both Raven and Beast Boy together, quite relieved.

"Aw," said a disappointed Crystal.

"You're having triplets," said Dr. Marco with a smile.

The whole room went completely silent. They all just stared at the poor woman as their whole world seemed to stop. Suddenly, twins didn't seem so horrible after all.

"W-What?" said Raven.

"Yes, triplets," said Dr. Marco, turning to the screen. "See? There's a baby here, here, and here."

"There's three babies?!" said Crystal excitedly.

"You've gotta be kidding me," said Beast Boy, getting up and getting a closer look at the screen.

"But… but… but," Raven sputtered, trying to wrap her head around this new news. "How can this be? I mean, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive," said Dr. Marco. "In fact, I'll take a picture of the sonogram so you can look at it better and show it to everyone."

"This is so cool!" said Crystal.

"Triplets?" said a still shocked Raven. "I don't know how to carry and birth one baby let alone three!"

"We've got some pamphlets for such a situation," said Dr. Marco. "I'll go get them while you get used to the news. Oh, and just so you know, they look very good; nice and healthy." And with that she turned off the equipment, pushed off of her roll around chair, and exited the room.

"Daddy, if we're having three babies can I have one?" asked Crystal. "Me and Nicole'll take care of it!"

"Crystal, take a seat on the chair for a sec," said Beast Boy. Crystal sighed and did as she was told. Beast Boy turned to his rather paler than usual wife and said, "You okay?"

"Triplets?" she said. "We're having triplets? How did this happen?"

"Well, you see, when a man and a woman love each other very much-" he began, with a small smirk.

"Now is not the time," she said, giving him a whack on the arm.

"Sorry," he said. "Just trying to lighten up the mood. You're not really upset, are you?"

"Well… not upset as much as I'm shocked," said Raven. "I mean, I guess I'm happy."

"Hey, think of it this way," he said. "You're making up for lost time. Having triplets is like having an instant family!"

"That's true," said Raven. "Wow, and here I was thinking there was only one life inside of me. This is going to be a little more difficult than I thought."

"But we can do it," he said, taking her hand.

"Can I get off of the chair now?" asked a bored Crystal.

"Yeah, you can get up," Beast Boy chuckled.

"How're we going to tell the others?" asked Raven.

"Hmm, good question," he said, thinking. "We gotta do something really cool revealing this news."

"Poor Starfire," said Raven.

"Huh?" said a caught off guard Beast Boy.

"Well, she's always felt special for being the only one to a set of multiples," said Raven. "What's she going to say when she finds out I've out multipled her?"

"I don't think that's a word," said Beast Boy, who couldn't believe Raven could use a word that didn't exist.

"I'm pregnant with triplets," said Raven. "I think I can get away with making up words."

"Okay, fair enough," he said. "But, you're right, what will Starfire say?"


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 35

_One Month Ago_

"Ahh!" Starfire screamed at the top of her lungs, shaking the foundation of the Titans' Tower. She flew into the air and waved her arms around in an enthusiastic manner; she couldn't have been smiling any wider. "I am in the disbelief! You are truly serious?!"

"Yes," said Raven. "Trust me, I wouldn't lie about this."

"This is such wonderful news!" Starfire gushed and wrapped her arms around her dear pregnant friend. "I am so happy for you."

"You just can't seem to stop surprising us, can you?" laughed Bumblebee.

"Jesus, B, you did a better job than we thought!" laughed Cyborg.

"Sheesh, maybe we _did_ put a little too much pressure on him," Nightwing laughed as well.

"Hey, say what you want, but I've got something to be proud of," said Beast Boy, a proud smirk on his face. "I don't see any of you with triplets. Hey! I've finally outdone you at something, NW!"

"He's right!" Cyborg laughed even more.

"Oh! I shall have to make many alterations to your shower now!" said Starfire.

"And we're going to have to buy some new baby stuff now," said Bumblebee. "We only have enough stuff for _two_ babies."

_

* * *

_

Present Time 

Raven looked at her body's profile in the mirror. She couldn't believe it; four months in and she had a definite bump. She lifted her shirt looked at her ever swelling stomach. The day before she and Beast Boy had gone for another checkup and had discovered what she was having. But they hadn't told anyone yet. They were going to put it in Crystal's birthday card so she could be the first to know, since she was the most excited about it.

And, yes, today was Crystal's sixth birthday and that meant they were having a party for her. She'd invited three of her closest friends from her class to come over, so this was going to be her first friend birthday party. And that meant their parents were coming as well.

"Raven, you ready?" asked Beast Boy, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Yes, I'll be right out," she said, putting her shirt back down. She took one last look in the mirror and then proceeded to exit the bathroom. And there stood her husband on the other side.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" he asked.

"Barely," said Raven. "But I should be good."

"Awesome," he said with a smile. "You look nice."

"Yeah right," she said, rolling her eyes. "I look bloated."

"You don't look bloated," he laughed. "In fact, you're glowing. Now, come on, Crystal's friends and their parents are here."

"Already?" she said.

"Well you've taken nearly an hour and a half to get ready," said Beast Boy. "Now let's get down there."

The two made their way to the common room, which was completely decorated with streamers and balloons, and found all the kids running around. The three extra kids were all girls named Olivia, Katy, and Megan. Crystal had been blindfolded and was trying to catch one of the other kids so that they'd be 'it'. All the other adults were talking and getting to know each other. The parents of Crystal's friends, Olivia's mother and father, Katy's mother and father, and Megan's mother, were quite excited to be in the famous Titans Tower with the even more famous Titans.

"Do your kids ever watch you fight?" asked the mother of Olivia, Shirley.

"Not usually," said Nightwing, who had Jack on his hip while Starfire had Eric on hers. "If they ever do, it's just a small clip from the news."

"I'm sure you hope they follow in your footsteps someday," said the father of Katy, Frank.

"I don't think so," laughed Bumblebee. "Would you want your children growing up to face death in the face every other day?"

"I wouldn't," said Katy's mother, Betty, who was rather flighty.

"Hey, look who's here!" said Beast Boy as he and his wife walked over to the group.

"Nice to meet you all," said Raven, trying not to be embarrassed by her husband's loud introduction of her. "Thanks for coming to the party."

"Oh, we wouldn't miss it for the world," said Betty. "Crystal is our Katy's best friend."

"And our Olivia's," said Olivia's father, Dave.

"And my Megan's," said Megan's mother, Patty.

"Wow, Crystal must be a great best friend," laughed Beast Boy. "You're not just saying all that so you can come back to the tower, are you?"

"No!" all five parents said at once, making the others laugh.

Suddenly Crystal ran right into Cyborg and fell backwards onto her bottom. "Hey, watch where you're going!" he laughed and helped her back up.

"I can't watch where I'm going!" said Crystal, lifting up one side of her blindfold.

"Well, try to be careful, birthday girl," said Cyborg. She smiled, made sure her eyes were covered once more and then went off, her arms ahead of her trying to feel for where everything was.

"And who approved of this game?" asked Raven.

"Well, Megan played it at her birthday party and it's become a big hit," said Patty.

"Apparently," said Raven.

"I hope you don't think this rude, but could you tell us if the rumors are true?" asked Patty. "Are you expecting?"

"I think this would be pretty hard to lie about," said Raven, turning so they could see her profile. They hadn't made it official to the media, since they did like their privacy sometimes, but they'd find out sooner or later.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Betty.

"Congratulations," said Shirley. "How far along are you?"

"Only four months, if you'll believe it," said Raven. "I know I must look like I'm seven."

"Oh, Raven, you do not look like you are seven months with child," said Starfire, knowing how it felt when you started to show.

"Hell, you're lucky you're only that big with three buns in the oven," said Bumblebee.

"Three?" said Frank.

"Yup, three," said Beast Boy, smiling proudly and placing his hand on his wife's ever growing abdomen.

"Wow, how's the pregnancy been so far?" asked Betty.

"Barely tolerable," said Raven. "But, I'm very happy."

"Do you know what you're having?" asked Dave.

"Yes and everyone's gonna find out today," said Beast Boy. "It's inside of Crystal's birthday card."

"Is she happy about having three little siblings?" asked Shirley.

"Very happy and very excit-" Raven began when Crystal suddenly ran into her. Luckily, it was only into her side and wasn't with much force, but it certainly was startling. "Well this game's done," she said, taking Crystal's blindfold off.

"Sorry," said Crystal. "I thought I was gonna catch Taye."

"Why don't you play another game?" suggested Beast Boy.

"What else can we play?" asked Crystal.

"How 'bout your daddy gives you and all your friends pony rides?" suggested Cyborg with a smirk.

Crystal gasped and smiled widely. "Yeah! Daddy, can we please do that?" she pleaded.

Beast Boy glared at Cyborg and sighed. "Alright," he said and Crystal quickly grabbed his hand and led him to the other children.

The rest of the adults chuckled and snickered as a poor green pony walked around the common room for a good hour while child after child demanded ride after ride. Soon Crystal asked for a zebra ride and that led to a giraffe ride, a baby elephant ride, a polar bear ride, and a raptor ride. By the end Beast Boy was pooped and the kids were ready for cake.

The cake was big, pink, and guaranteed to cause an hour of super hyperactivity and a debilitating crash afterwards. All the kids ate at least two pieces and the adults made sure to finish the rest so they couldn't ask for thirds. Once they were all filled with cake and ice cream it was time for Crystal to open her presents.

She received a new baby doll, a very popular animated movie on DVD, a pretty new dress with matching shoes and hair barrettes, three new stuffed animals, and a coloring book and a new box of crayons. Now was the gift from her parents and the card that would tell everyone what Raven was having.

"Okay, we're going to switch the tradition up here," said Beast Boy, grabbing his daughter's birthday card out of her hand and handing her the gift instead. "You're gonna open your gift first and then read the card." Everyone let out a grown in unison. "Hey, we're going to make you guys wait as long as possible."

Crystal shredded the wrapping paper off of her last gift and gave a screech. "A custom made 'Little Lady' doll that looks just like me!" she said, jumping up and down. The 'Little Lady' franchise was one of the most popular little girl lines in the world. They had dolls, clothes, books, CDs, and there was even a movie coming out based on a few of the books. And they offered a service where they could custom make a doll to look like the little girl who'd own it. Crystal's looked just like her, green skin and all. This was something she'd been begging her father to get her for months and months.

"Do you like it?" laughed Beast Boy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, hugging her parents both strongly.

"Aw, I want one of those!" said Nicole.

"I have one!" said Megan.

"What's so special about a doll?" asked Taye.

"Yeah, it's a great doll, now open the card!" said Bumblebee.

"Yes, please, the suspense is going to make me expire too soon!' said Starfire.

"Oh, yeah," said Crystal, remembering her card. She grabbed it and tore the envelope to pieces to get the card inside. As she opened it the other adults attempted to look over her shoulder to read it, but Raven and Beast Boy shooed them away.

"You have to let her read it," said Raven.

"Yeah, she's got to know first," said Beast Boy.

Crystal concentrated on the words and began to read. "Hap-py birthday, Crystal," she began, sounding out the words. "We love you ve-ry much and so does your… brother and two sisters. I've got a brother and two sisters!"

Everyone cheered and clapped at the news. Now Raven would get to have two little girls of her own and Beast Boy would have what every man wanted; a son. Crystal hugged her parents again and even kissed Ravens belly three times.

"So, is everyone happy now?" asked Raven.

"Oh, very happy!" said Starfire.

"Aw, why couldn't it have been two boys and a girl?" asked Taye.

"Well, now the ratio between boys and girls will be even," said Bumblebee. "Four of each."

"And now I can make the rest of the shower preparations," said Starfire, excitedly.

"Wonderful," said Raven. "I think I'm going to sit down now." She took a much needed seat on the couch and relaxed for a moment.

"Mommy-Raven, how much longer until they get here?" asked Crystal.

"Probably less than five months," said Raven.

"Can I name one of them?" she asked.

"We'll see," said Raven.

"Why don't you think of some names and let us know," said Beast Boy.

"Oh, I've already thought of a bunch!" said Crystal. "What about Sunflower?"

"Sunflower?" said Raven.

"Yeah! I always wanted a little brother named Sunflower," said Crystal.


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 36

"Can I take this thing off now?" asked Raven.

"No, not yet," said Starfire, unable to hide her excitement.

"Please don't let her walk me into a wall," said Raven.

"Don't worry, I gotcha," laughed Bumblebee.

Raven was being led, blindfolded, to the common room where her shower was to take place. She hadn't been allowed to be in there for the past two days and had to teleport in and out of the tower and be brought meals in her room. She didn't mind that part all that much, considering she was seven months along and as big as she would have been nine months with a single baby growing within. She was even on bed rest.

"I really hope you didn't go to too much trouble," said Raven as she waddled down the hall.

"Hope all you want," said Bumblebee. "You know she did."

"It was not of the trouble," said Starfire. "I enjoyed planning your shower very much."

"Are we almost there?" poor Raven whined as her back ached.

"Yes, we have made it to the doors of the common room," said Starfire.

This was confirmed when Raven heard the doors swish open. They walked a few more feet and the two women helped the very pregnant Raven down the stairs to the lower level of the room. They walked a few more feet and then finally came to a stop.

"We are here! Are you ready?" asked Starfire, shaking with excitement.

"Yes, please take this thing off," said Raven.

"Okay, one… two… three!' said the two women, taking Ravens blindfold off.

Raven opened her eyes, let them adjust to the bright surroundings, and was quite stunned. The common room didn't look like the common room at all! Blue and pink balloons and streamers covered the entire room, so much so that the large windows couldn't be seen. There was a mountain of gifts, a large buffet of food that made Raven even hungrier than she usually was, and many women, all Titans, as well as Crystal and Nicole.

"Good Azar," was all Raven could say.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Starfire, her eyes wide and glittering.

"Uh, well, uh, it looks… wonderful," said Raven, really at a loss for words.

"Well, come on, take a seat," said Bumblebee, leading her over to a large, plush seat that was covered with streamers and balloons as well. "This is your thrown."

"We decorated it," said Nicole with a smile.

"Oh, well, it looks great," said Raven, taking a seat.

"Jeez, you got fat," said Jinx.

"Nice to see you too," said Raven. "And I'm quite aware of that, thank you."

"Don't listen to her, Raven," said Melvin, who was now leader of her own section of a new Teen Titans generation. "You look great." She gave her once babysitter a big hug.

"I highly doubt that," said Raven, who was in a pair of jeans with an elastic waste and a very nice, blue, short-sleeved blouse. "But I appreciate your lies to the harsh truth."

"Well, let's get this shower going!" said Bumblebee. "What's first, Star?"

"Oh!" said Starfire, grabbing her list of events. "First we are to each make a guess as to how large Ravens stomach is."

"Excuse me?" asked Raven.

"It's fun," said Bumblebee. "Everyone guesses and then we wrap some measuring tape around you to get the actual measurement. Whoever's closest wins a prize."

"Oh," said Raven.

"Let me get the board!" said Starfire, flying off. She quickly returned with a large dry erase board and began to write everyone's name down. "Okay, who wishes to make the first guess?"

"I will!" said Kole. "I'm usually really good at this." She went up to Raven and got a good look at her. She gave her guess and then Argent went next followed by Bumblebee, Jinx, Starfire, Melvin, Raven herself, Crystal, and then little Nicole. Once everyone made their guess Starfire got the measuring tape out. Raven got to her feet and they quickly measured her.

"So who won?" asked Jinx.

"I shall reveal the winner at the end of the shower," said Starfire, writing down the actual measurement down in her planner. "Alright, now we shall make a cast of Ravens belly and then when it is dry we shall all paint it."

"Can I please get something to eat first?" asked Raven.

"Don't worry, Raven, all you've got to do is lay back as we put plaster stuff all over your stomach," said Bumblebee.

"I'll get you something to eat, mommy-Raven," said Crystal, running off.

They all went up to the kitchen, where everything was set up for making the cast. Raven was sat in a chair and the whole group took part in covering her stomach with the cast. Raven found it very cold, wet, and unpleasant, but everyone else was having a great time, so she decided not to say anything. As they made the cast Crystal continuingly brought Raven food.

An hour later it was dry enough to take off and was placed in a safe spot to dry completely. They all took a break to wash themselves off and then got back to the shower. Raven was already exhausted.

"Now let us proceed with the gifts!" said Starfire.

Raven was sat down on her thrown again and all the gifts made their way to her. Raven sat Crystal right next to her to help her unwrap all of them. She received a triple stroller, three carriers, three baby swings, two changing tables, a rocking chair, three diaper disposal containers, three bassinets, a pair of baby monitors, ten infant boy outfits, twenty infant girl outfits, nine packs of onezies, nine pairs of mittens, and thirty-six packs of diapers.

"Wow, the babies got a lot of gifts," said Crystal. "And they're not even born yet!"

"That's what a baby shower is," said Raven. "It's a party to get ready for the babies."

"Well, I think we're ready now," said Crystal.

"I'll say," said Raven. "You're father's going to freak out."

"Why?" asked Crystal.

"Because he's the one who has to move all of this stuff into the nursery," said Raven with a smirk.

"Alright, now let us partake in the cake!" said Starfire.

"Cake?" asked Raven. "Is a cake really necessary at a baby shower?"

"Cake is necessary no matter what the occasion," said Bumblebee.

Starfire brought out a beautiful cake that had a baby boy and two baby girls made of icing on top. Raven gladly took a big slice, claiming that each of the babies deserved a piece. And after tasting it she confirmed that Bumblebee was right; cake was necessary no matter what the occasion.

Once they'd each had some cake it was time to paint Ravens belly cast. They each got a section of the cast and were allowed to paint whatever they wanted. Crystal decided to use her whole space up by doing her hand print, which Raven liked very much. They all signed their names and then dated it.

"Oh, it looks very nice," said Starfire.

"You know what?" said Raven. "It actually does. I think having that cold, wet plaster tape on me was worth it."

"Alright, what's left?" asked Jinx.

"Now I shall reveal who won the measuring contest," said Starfire with a smile. She looked through her planner and found where she'd written it down. "The person who got the closest was… Nicole!"

"What?!" all the women, excluding Raven, shouted.

"I won?!" said Nicole, jumping up and down.

"Yes, you did," said Starfire, hugging her daughter.

"What did I win?" asked Nicole.

"You have won a lovely gift basket!" said Starfire, pulling out a basket full of treats and a few gift certificates. All the other women grumbled and swore Nicole only won because she was Starfire's daughter.

After that the shower was basically over and everyone was allowed to go home. Raven was dead tired and went to take a nap after thoroughly thanking Starfire for all of the work she'd put into the event. Crystal went with her and as Raven drifted off to sleep she read her a story, but claimed it was so the triplets would fall asleep, too. Raven often complained that she couldn't sleep because the babies were always moving around and kicking her relentlessly.

Not too long after the party ended the men were allowed to come home. And, just as Raven had predicted, Beast Boy freaked out when he saw all of the baby stuff he had to move into the babies' room and assemble. He decided he'd do it later and go check on his wife first.

He entered the bedroom and found both Raven and Crystal passed out on the bed; Crystal's storybook still in her hands. Beast Boy smiled and walked over to his two girls. He took a seat at the edge of the bed and reached for one of Ravens swollen feet. He began to massage and rub it just the way she liked it and soon she awoke.

"That feels so good," she said, tiredly.

"How was your baby shower?" he asked.

"Alright," said Raven. "I think we got everything we're going to need."

"I saw," he said. "How're the babies doing?"

"They're asleep for the moment," said Raven. "Which I'm grateful for, since they seem to love kicking my ribs."

Beast Boy crawled over and placed his hand on his wife's large stomach. "Hey guys, daddy's here," he said to them. Immediately all three began to kick and wriggle about.

"Great, you woke them up!" Raven groaned.

"Good to know they recognize my voice," said Beast Boy with a smile. "I can't believe they're gonna be here in two months."

"Beast Boy, we'll be lucky if they're here in one month," said Raven. "Triplets usually come early. I just hope they're all healthy."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," he said. "You haven't had any problems yet, so I'm not worried."

Raven smiled and then began to move herself up into a sitting position. He quickly helped her up and then helped her to stand up. At this point she didn't even have to tell him that she needed to go to the bathroom. All of this commotion awoke Crystal, who sat up groggily.

"Hey, you're awake," said Beast Boy, grabbing his daughter and kissing her. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah," Crystal yawned. "Nicole won a prize for guessing how big mommy-Ravens tummy was."

"Cool," he said. "Do you think the babies got enough gifts?"

"No," said Crystal.

"No?" he laughed. "What didn't they get?"

"They didn't get any toys!" said Crystal. "Not one!"

"Well, maybe we can go out and get them some toys," said Beast Boys.

"Yeah, they need a teddy bear at least," said Crystal. "Ooh! Can we go to that place in the mall and make them each one?"

"That's a great idea!" said her father. "We'll save them and then give them to the babies when they're born. It'll be their first birthday gift."

"Yeah!" said Crystal, very happy with the idea.

"Just make sure you keep it a secret," said Beast Boy. "It'll be a nice surprise for mommy-Raven, too."

"Okay," said Crystal.

Raven waddled back into the room and said, "Alright, get to work."

"Huh?" said Beast Boy.

"You've got a lot of stuff to move into the nursery, so get to work," said Raven, taking a seat on her bed once more.

Beast Boy sighed and stood up. "Alright, I'll get to it," he said. "Crystal, you wanna help?"

"Okay," she said, scooting off of the bed. "You wouldn't know where it goes, anyway."

"I know where it goes!" said Beast Boy. "Sheesh, she's becoming more like you every day, Rae."

"And thank God for that," Raven smirked.


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 37

It wasn't too long after the baby shower that Raven went for a checkup and decided to make a date for a cesarean delivery, just so she didn't go into early labor and put the babies at risk. She wanted everything to go as smoothly and safe as possible. She set the date for four and a half weeks after the shower, just so they could be ready. And she prayed she didn't go into labor before the delivery date.

In that time, the nursery, which was once Beast Boy's room, had been completely set up for the arrival of the babies. The men had made a group effort to put together anything that needed to be assembled. The whole team had already worked out a schedule for taking care of the triplets, so no one got too overwhelmed and all of the children, not just the triplets, were taken care of properly. In a way, these triplets were not just being born to Beast Boy and Raven but to all the Titans.

And now the time had come for the delivery. Raven sat in a hospital bed only minutes away from being moved down to surgery. Her stomach was so large she was quite uncomfortable and couldn't wait to be rid of it. Beast Boy was oddly nervous and jittery. She figured that, since he'd been through this before, he'd be calm.

"Would you please sit down?" said Raven as she watched her husband walk aimlessly around the room.

"How can I possibly sit down at a time like this?" he asked. "I mean, they're gonna be here in, like, the next half hour!"

"And is this pacing about because you're nervous or excited?" asked Raven.

"Both!" he said. "I mean, aren't you?"

"Thanks to the lovely medications pumping through my body, no," said Raven with a smile. "Is this how you were when Crystal was born?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "Terra actually had me removed from the room."

"But you were there when she was born, right?" asked Raven.

Beast Boy's smile faded away and he scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, no, actually," he said. "Terra was so upset with me, you know, cuz I knocked her up and all, that she didn't let me back in the room once she had me kicked out. But I got to hear Crystal's first cry through the door."

Raven saw how sad thinking about this made him feel and she took his hand. "Well, I want you to know that I want you with me through the whole thing," said Raven. "You're going to get to see the babies before even I do. I hope that somewhat makes up for not getting to see Crystal be born."

Beast Boy smiled and kissed her. "That'll work," he said.

Just then her room door opened and a few nurses came in. "Alright, you ready to have these babies?" asked the nurse with a smile.

"Very much so," said Raven.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," said the nurse. She and the other nurses began the rather cumbersome task of moving Raven, in her bed, out of the room. Beast Boy moved right along with the whole group and held Ravens hand the whole time.

They made it to surgery and everything was set up. Before Raven knew it she was lying down with an oxygen mask on and a wall of blue paper up to prevent her from seeing what was going on with the lower part of her body. Beast Boy sat right next to her and was actually shaking he was so anxious. They did a sense test to make sure Raven couldn't feel her abdomen and then got underway.

"Do you feel anything?" asked Beast Boy.

"No," she said. "Just some pressure."

"Good," he said, kissing her forehead.

The doctor got to work and the world waited. Raven knew her heart would have been racing had she not been medicated. She just kept praying and hoping they were going to come out okay. She'd waited for so long, so very long. She didn't want all of her hopes to be dashed now, when they were so close. And then she heard words that she thought she'd never hear.

"Here's baby number one," announced the doctor. Beast Boy jumped up and saw a messy little infant being lifted into the air. "It's a boy!"

"Oh my God," said Beast Boy, smiling with joy, pride, and excitement.

"How does he look?" asked Raven.

"Bloody!" Beast Boy laughed. "Bloody, but perfect."

The little boy's mouth was cleaned out and within seconds he began to scream. Hearing that sound made Raven really wonder if this was real. It was the most beautiful thing that had ever reached her ears.

Quickly the little boy was taken to Ravens head so she could see him. He was crying and flailing about, his eyes closed tight. Raven had never seen anything more miraculous in her entire life. She reached up and touched his soft skin, making sure he wasn't an illusion.

"He's not green," was the first thing she could think of to say.

"Neither was Crystal when she was first born," said Beast Boy. "He'll be green by tomorrow."

"Okay, ready for number two?" said the doctor. The little boy was whisked away to be cleaned up and examined. Within seconds the doctor had pulled another baby free from Ravens womb. "We've got a girl!"

Her mouth was cleaned, she breathed in her first breath, screamed, shown to Raven, and was carried off to join her brother to be cleaned and examined. By this point Beast Boy couldn't help but shed a few tears of joy. He really was an emotional person and Raven truly admired him for that.

"Two down, Rae," he said, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"And last but not least," said the doctor as he helped the last of the triplets out, "number three! Another girl."

Just like the other three she was quickly shown to Raven and then taken away. Raven felt very happy and very proud as she saw each of her children. And once the youngest was whisked away she relaxed and waited while she was cleaned and sewn back up.

"You did it," said Beast Boy, kissing her again.

"Go tell Crystal her little brother and sisters are here," she said, smiling.

"Okay, I'll be right back," he said and went to leave.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," she said.

He quickly walked down the white, cold halls of the maternity ward towards the waiting room where everyone was waiting for news. He opened the doors and instantly nine heads looked up.

"They're here!" he said, triumphantly.

Everyone cheered and Crystal ran into her father's arms. "They're really here?" she asked, excitedly.

"Yup, I saw them myself," he said, picking her up and kissing her.

"Can I see them?" she asked.

"Not yet," said Beast Boy. "But when you can I'll come get you."

"How do they look?" asked Nightwing.

"Great," said Beast Boy. "They're little, but their lungs sure are strong. Not even Crystal cried that loudly."

"How is Raven?" asked Starfire.

"She seems okay," said Beast Boy. "They're sewing her up right now and since she can heal herself she'll probably be fine by tomorrow."

"Well get back in there and tell us when we can see them!" said Bumblebee, shoving him out of the waiting room the way he came.

Raven was soon rolled back to her room and there she waited to hear how they were. She knew they'd be in the hospital for a few days, but she hoped they were healthy. And even if they weren't, she prayed her healing abilities had been passed to them to help them heal and get strong.

Beast Boy found her in her room and sat down to wait with her. She looked quite tired, not to mention medicated, but she refused to rest until someone told her the condition of her babies.

"You did awesome," said Beast Boy, who couldn't stop smiling.

"All I did was lay back and let the doctor take them out," said Raven.

"Yeah, but you spent eight months growing them," said Beast Boy. "You've done something no other Titan has done! Three at once!"

Raven smiled and said, "Well, I do feel a little proud."

"Damn right you do!" said Beast Boy.

Just then the doctor came in, smiling. "Hey, how're you feeling, Raven?" he asked.

"Very tired," she said. "How are they?"

"Good," he said. "Your little boy was 6lbs 6onz, the first girl was 5lbs 2onz, and the second girl was 5lbs 4onz. Very good for triplets."

"And they're healthy?" asked Beast Boy.

"So far," said the doctor. "You can rest well, Raven. You did a great job."

Raven smiled and with that closed her eyes to get some much needed rest. Her body felt at peace at last. She'd accomplished a task that had been keeping her alive for all these years.

While Raven slept Beast Boy was given permission to take Crystal into the room where the three babies were sleeping. She was a little scared when she saw them hooked up to a couple tubes and sensors, but everyone told her it was alright. They were each in their own incubators to keep them safe and warm.

"They're really little," said Crystal.

"Yeah, but aren't they cute?" said Beast Boy.

Crystal wrinkled her nose and said, "Not really."

Beast Boy laughed and said, "Well, they'll get cute soon. You wanna touch them?"

"Can I?" she asked.

"Yeah, go wash your hands," he said, showing her to a sink. She quickly washed her hands and then placed her hand into her little brother's incubator and let him wrap his little fingers around one of her own.

"His fingers are really little," said Crystal.

"Yeah, look at how little his finger nails are," said Beast Boy.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"I'll let mommy-Raven tell you when she wakes up," he said.

"Why can't _you_ tell me?" asked Crystal.

"Because we haven't exactly decided yet," he laughed.

"I still think you should call him Sunflower," said Crystal.

"I'm sorry, Crystal, but there's no way we're calling him Sunflower," said Beast Boy. "But you can call him that as a nickname, if you want."

"I guess I'm gonna have to," Crystal sighed.

Once she'd gotten a good look at all three of the babies she was sent back out to the waiting room and two by two the others began to come in and get a look at the babies as well. As soon as everyone had gotten to see them the others headed back home. Beast Boy chose to stay and left Crystal in Bumblebee's care.

A while later Raven awoke from her recovering sleep and wanted to see her children, to make sure it hadn't been a dream. They helped her into a wheelchair and she was wheeled down to their room. They took one of the little girls out of their incubator, wrapped her up, and gave her to Raven to hold. They also took out the little boy and gave him to Beast Boy.

"They're so little," said Raven, looking at her daughter with absolute adoration.

"That's what Crystal said," laughed Beast Boy. "She also still wants us to name him Sunflower."

"And you told her that wasn't going to happen, right?" said Raven.

"Yeah, I told her," he said. "So, you happy to finally be a mommy?"

"Beast Boy, I've been a mommy to Crystal for quite some time now," Raven pointed out. "But am I happy to finally have children of my own flesh and blood? Words can't even describe how happy I am."

"Good," said Beast Boy with a smile. "So, did we, or rather you, decide on names?"

"Yes, I have," said Raven. "As soon as I saw them I knew which names were right."

"So what's this little guy's name?" he asked, as he swayed back and forth with his son.

"Liam Garfield Logan," said Raven.

"Liam?" said Beast Boy. "Are you sure?"

"It means 'strong willed warrior'," said Raven.

"Ooh, I like that!" said Beast Boy. "What about her?"

"Is she the youngest?" asked Raven.

"Yes, she was the last born," said the nurse.

"Then she's Lily Violet," said Raven. "And her sister's Larkin Jade."

"Liam, Larkin, and Lily," said Beast Boy. "Why the Ls?"

"I hadn't meant it, originally," said Raven. "But when it came down to choosing my favorite names they all happened to start with Ls. What do you think?"

"I think they're perfect," said Beast Boy smiling.

Raven smiled back and looked down at her little girl. She kissed her head and closed her eyes, soaking in the feeling of holding her own daughter. She and Beast Boy switched babies a little while later and then placed one back in their bed to hold the other little girl, Larkin. Once they'd each gotten a chance to hold each of the babies they were put back down and Raven went to rest some more.

It had been a long day, but a blessed one.


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 38

After two weeks in the hospital for observation, the Logan triplets were given the okay to go home. By then the whole team was ready to bring them home. Raven had gone home two days after they'd been born, but spent her entire day in the hospital with her babies. She watched them grow day by day and by the time they were brought home they'd gone from rather ugly little newborns, as many are the first few days after they're born, to very cute infants. And, just as Beast Boy had said, all three had turned green a little over twenty-four hours after they'd been born.

The three little newborns now sat in the common room in their baby seats, fast asleep. The children couldn't get enough of them and had circled around them. Raven was fully healed and quite happy to have her children home at last.

"Okay, how cute are they?" said Cyborg.

"I've already used up two rolls of film," said Bumblebee, winding her camera once more.

"I can not believe how much Liam looks like you, Beast Boy," said Starfire.

"I know!" he laughed. "I think if I were born green I'd look like that."

"Well, one thing's for sure," said Nightwing. "Those green genes of yours sure are dominant."

"We don't know that just yet," said Raven, who was sitting with the children and babies. "I think the girls are going to have hair like me. And we still don't know what color their eyes are going to be." Just then Lily began to fuss and Raven was quick to pick her up.

"Can I hold one of them?" asked Crystal.

"Yeah, me too?" asked Nicole.

"Okay, go wash your hands," said Raven.

"We just did!" said Crystal.

"Well do it again," said Raven. "I saw you sneeze and Nicole coughed a moment ago."

The two girls groaned and ran off to wash their hands. Once they came back she gave Crystal Larkin and Nicole got to hold Liam. Lily continued to fuss, so Raven figured it was time to start another round of feeding. She got comfortable, covered the little girl and most of her side with a blanket, and got to feeding. She knew breastfeeding would be very tiring, especially with triplets, but she wanted the entire mother experience. Of course, she pumped her milk as well so the others could help with the night feedings.

"Mommy, can I read them a story when they go to bed tonight?" asked Crystal.

"We'll see," said Raven. "How about you read them a story before you go to bed?"

"Why? Are they going to bed after me?" asked Crystal.

"Well, they're going to be up every three hours to eat," said Raven. "So they have many bedtimes and wakeup times."

"Wow, so you can't sleep for more than three hours?" asked Crystal.

"Luckily I have all the other adults to help me, so I should be able to sleep for a little more than three hours," said Raven.

"I'll feed them when I wake up in the morning," said Crystal.

"Me too!' said Nicole.

"Well, we need all the help we can get," said Raven.

Once Raven fed all three babies she, along with Beast Boy, brought them to the nursery to be put down for a nap until they had to feed again or be changed. Luckily all three went down without a fuss and the two quickly exited before they could wake up.

"Happy to have them home?" asked Beast Boy.

"Very happy," said Raven. "I hated having to leave them every night. Now they're here, where they should be."

"Just like you," said Beast Boy, taking her hand.

"You're never going to forgive me for leaving, are you?" asked Raven.

"I don't know if 'never' is the right word," said Beast Boy. "But I want to hear you say that it was a mistake."

"Beast Boy, if I had never left we wouldn't be where we are today," said Raven. "And, in the end, everything worked out for the best. I'm sorry you're still upset that I left, but I still think it was the right choice on my part."

Beast Boy sighed and said, "I'm just scared that if something happens you'll run away again. Just, promise me that no matter what you'll stay."

Raven let go of his hand and then wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly. "I promise, I'm never going to runaway again. No matter what."

Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her as well and said, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"I'll never leave you, Garfield Logan," said Raven. "You saved my life."

"Well, it wasn't just me," said Beast Boy. "I mean, NW and Cy did most of the work and-" He was cut off when Raven pressed her lips to his, kissing him strongly.

"No," she said. "_You_ saved me. You found me at the library, you brought me back to the tower, you let me be in Crystal's life, you fulfilled my biggest dreams. You saved my life, Beast Boy. You've placed me in a debt I don't think I can ever repay."

He hugged her tightly once again and said, "There is no debt, Rae. I was making up for not treating you right when we were younger. I was making up for… Terra. In my book, we're even."

Raven couldn't help smiling a little. "I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," he said, kissing her.

"Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I think I'm going to go meditate for a little while," she said, feeling a sense of relief from both she and her husband.

"Good idea," he agreed. "I'll keep an ear out for the babies, so don't worry about them."

"Actually, I'm going to meditate in the nursery," said Raven.

"Uh, obsessive, much?" he laughed.

"I'm not obsessive," she said. "I'm going to get to know my children on a spiritual level. Our minds can come together and we can create an even stronger bond together. Not to mention I'll know what they want when they wake up."

"Dude, that's so not fair!" said Beast Boy. "They're gonna love you more because you've got a bond!"

"Well, then you're just going to have to learn to be your immature, fun self again so they like you too," Raven smirked.

"Hey!" he objected. "I'll have you know I've been getting less and less mature ever since you came back. I'm not nearly as overprotective with Crystal as I have been."

She only smiled and went back into the nursery, closing the door in his face. He opened his mouth to yell something, but then realized he was right outside of the nursery and would surely wake his children up. So he grumbled in defeat and headed back to the common room.

Raven softly walked to each of the bassinets that held one of her babies. She looked in on each one of them and saw that they were deep asleep. The curtain of the large window was closed and the room was dark and quiet. She thought it was quite funny that she'd been searching her whole life for the perfect place to meditate, and here it was.

She levitated into the air and took a seat in her usual lotus position. She cleared her mind, found her center and began. She let her mind reach out and connect with her children. Their little minds were very simple and she found it a relief to the more complex minds of adults. She made sure to give them subtle, unique messages that would let them know this was their mother. She knew that by doing this she had an easy way to calm them when they fussed.

She spent nearly two hours meditating and connecting with the babies. Beast Boy occasionally listened in on the baby monitors, but concluded Raven had everything under control. He thought that having triplets would have him, and everyone else, running ragged, but so far he was kind of bored.

Of course, as soon as Ravens meditation ended the chaos began. All three had to be changed, fed again, and burped, then Liam began to fuss, Crystal wanted to help, Nicole began to cry when Larkin began to cry in her arms, Taye was hungry and bored, and Jack and Eric needed to be changed as well and began to cry when they saw they weren't getting as much attention as usual. The adults began to run around and attend to the need of each child. Thank God they'd made up various strategic plans for such a situation. For this one they used plan Blue-6-3-8. And when the alarm sounded they had to switch to plan Blue-0-6-7-Red.

"Okay, I know I'm probably going to say this a lot, but we got too many kids!" said Bumblebee as she made lunch for all the kids and had Eric on her hip.

"Don't worry, we can always consider boarding school," said Raven as she fed Liam.

"What?!" said Beast Boy. "We're not sending any of my kids to boarding school. Though I wouldn't be against maybe sending Taye away."

"Okay, first of all, you'd have to be an idiot not to know Raven was joking," said Bumblebee. "And second, like hell my boy is going away."

"And _I_ was joking about_ that_," said Beast Boy with a smile.

"I hope Nightwing, Starfire, and Cyborg will be able to handle Plasmus without us," said Raven, placing Liam on her shoulder to burp him.

"They'll be fine," said Bumblebee. "And if they need help I can always fly over and show them how it's done."

"I can't wait until I can get back into the game," said Raven. "I haven't been out on a mission in so long."

"Trust me, it's just as scary and not fun as ever," said Beast Boy.

"Then how come whenever I see you guys on TV you're always cheering and smiling?" asked Crystal.

"That's after the fight when we're glad to still be alive," said Bumblebee.

"It's not really that dangerous," said Taye. "When I'm leader of the Titans there'll never be any bad guys again."

"Oh?" said Bumblebee. "And just who said you could be a Titan?"

"Dad," said Taye. "He said that I'm not only gonna be a Titan, he said I'm gonna be leader."

"No, you're not!" said Crystal. "I'm gonna be leader. Boy leaders are too mean!"

"No, girls are just too wimpy!" said Taye.

"I'm not wimpy!" Nicole chimed in. "And Crystal's gonna be leader cuz she's the bravest!"

"No she's not!" said Taye. "She's not even gonna be a Titan cuz she doesn't have powers!"

"Neither do you!" said Crystal.

"Yes, I do!" said Taye.

"Then show us!" said Crystal and Nicole.

"Hey!" Raven raised her voice, silencing all three. "None of you are going to live until your next birthday if you don't lower your voices around the babies. Understand?" All three nodded and decided to take their argument to the playroom.

"Does Taye really have powers?" asked Beast Boy, curiously, after they'd left.

"Yeah, but I've told him not to use them without me around," Bumblebee sighed. "He figured it all out about five months ago. He ran into my room screaming, 'Mom, watch this!' and the next thing I know he's the size of a dragonfly and is flying around with wings he can make grow out of his back!"

"Whoa," said Raven.

"Then he proceeded to zap me with his stinging fingers," said Bumblebee. "Thank God I can sting, too, or I'd have been in a lot of pain."

"Well, I guess this means Crystal's gonna start asking about what powers she's got," said Beast Boy. "Once Taye shows everyone what he can do she's gonna want to show him up."

"I can't believe the rivalry to be the best passed from you and Cyborg to your children," said Raven, shaking her head.

"And I can't believe NW's daughter would rather be a follower than a leader," laughed Bumblebee.

"She obviously takes after her mother when it comes to trusting others," said Raven. "But, going back to Crystal, I think you should have a talk with her, Beast Boy. If she does have your powers, Terra's powers, or both, she needs to know how to control them now. You know that was one of Terra's problem areas."

"Yeah, you're right," said Beast Boy. "God, I've been dreading this talk more than the _other_ big talk."

"Well, don't worry about that," said Raven. "_I'll_ be the one giving her _that_ talk."

"Oh, thank God!" Beast Boy exclaimed with relief.


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 39

Three months and nearly a thousand diaper changes passed and the rather large Titan family was getting comfortable. Of course, having the three oldest discover that they had superpowers like their parents sure added a new set of problems. Now if little quarrels got out of hand the kids would use their powers irresponsibly. Now the team was _really_ considering boarding school.

But, all was well with the triplets. Liam was a fat, happy baby who really looked just like his father; green skin, green hair, and green eyes. He loved to smile and laugh as the kids made funny faces in front of him. Larkin and Lily both, since they were identical, had green skin like their brother but violet hair and eyes. They looked so similar that they had to give each girl a separate color so they would know who was who. Larkin wore green, since her middle name was Jade, and Lily wore purple, since her middle name was violet.

"Hey, dad?" said Crystal.

"Hey, what?" Beast Boy answered.

"Can we go practice transforming?" asked Crystal.

"Not right now," he said, since he was currently washing Lily in the sink. Raven was in the nursery rocking an already bathed Liam to sleep and keeping an eye on Larkin who was getting a bath next.

"Well when can we?" Crystal whined.

"How about tomorrow afternoon?" suggested Beast Boy. "We'll go to the park and I'll teach you for as long as you want."

"Really?" said Crystal, liking the sound of that. So far she'd only been given tidbits of information on her powers and whenever she tried to use them she got in trouble.

"Sure," her father said with a smile. "But don't transform until then, got it?"

She sighed and said, "Alright. But what if Taye-"

"You come and get me," he said quickly and firmly. "I don't care what's going on, I don't care if he says you're a tattletale, you come and get me and I'll take care of it. Got it?"

"Got it," said Crystal, knowing that when her father got like this it was best not to argue with him. "Hey, I've got a question."

"What is it?" he asked as he wrapped a towel around Lily.

"Who's gonna teach me how to use my other powers?" asked Crystal. "You know, with the rocks and stuff."

"Hmm," said Beast Boy, thinking. "Well, I think mommy-Raven might be able to help you."

"Don't call her mommy-Raven," said Crystal.

"What? Why not?" asked Beast Boy.

"Cuz I don't call her that," said Crystal, matter-of-factly. "I call her mommy."

"And… what do you call your mother?" asked Beast Boy, curiously.

"Mom," said Crystal with a smile. "She was my mom but Raven's my mommy. Is that okay?"

"If you're cool with it, so am I," said Beast Boy with a smile. "Now go tell mommy that Lily's done and I'm ready for Larkin."

"'kay!" said Crystal and she ran off.

Beast Boy carefully dried every bit of Lily with the soft towel and then blew a few raspberries into her little tummy, making her smile and coo. She was a bit more laid back than her twin; an observer. She liked to sit in her seat and watch things happen around her, her little mind trying to understand what was going on.

"Ready for number three?" asked Raven as she walked in with Larkin.

"Oh yeah," he said and the two traded.

"So Crystal wants me to help her with her powers?" said Raven.

"Well I thought out of all of us you'd be able to help her the most," said Beast Boy. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I just hope I can help her," said Raven. "I have no idea how Terra's powers worked."

"I trust you," said Beast Boy with a smile. "Hey, did you hear that Crystal's not gonna call you mommy-Raven anymore?"

"Yeah, she's been calling me just mommy for a while now," said Raven. "I think when she saw that the triplets weren't going to be calling me 'mommy-Raven' she decided to just call me mommy."

"Well, you are her mommy," said Beast Boy. "Oh, just so you know, I'm taking her to the park tomorrow to work on her animal morphing."

"Do you think she's ready?" asked Raven.

"Whether she is or not she wants to try," said Beast Boy. "I don't think she knows how tiring it can get."

"Well, at least we know she'll sleep good tomorrow night," said Raven. "Now wash Larkin up so I can feed her and put her down."

"I'm on it," he said and began to refill the little tub in the sink. He stripped Larkin and gently laid her down in the warm water. She immediately began to thrash about and fuss. Unlike her sister, she was always moving about and got upset easily. If she had it her way, she'd be held all day and never put down.

Suddenly the alarm began to sound and the tower filled with a red blinking light. One by one the adults congregated into the common room to find out what was going on. By this point Beast Boy was trying to calm a now screaming Larkin who'd been scared by the alarm. Nightwing turned it off as quickly as he could.

"Who is it?" asked Cyborg.

"Mumbo Jumbo's robbing a bank on the south side," said Nightwing. "Plan Blue-4-9-4?"

"Sounds good to me," said Bumblebee.

"Actually, if it's alright with the rest of you, I'd like to go out," said Raven. Everyone knew this day would come and they each looked to each other, unsurely.

"Are you sure?" asked Nightwing.

"Yes," said Raven. "Besides, it's just Mumbo. He's probably one of the easiest villains there is to take down."

"Okay, if you're sure," said Nightwing. "Let's go with… Green-8-7-5."

"Whoa, wait a second," said Beast Boy. "You want _me_ to stay home? If she's going out there I've got to go, too."

"Beast Boy, I'll be fine," said Raven. "And you still have to bathe Larkin. You know that I want either you or myself here with the babies at all times while they're still this young."

"But-" he began.

"No buts," said Raven, firmly. "I'm going, you're staying."

And with that Poor Beast Boy watched as Raven, Nightwing, and Starfire headed out, leaving himself, Bumblebee, and Cyborg home to take care of the children. He wasn't happy about it, but he knew she had to start going out on missions again sooner or later. He just wished it was a little more later than sooner.

Mumbo Jumbo looked quite proud of himself as thousands of dollars flew out of the bank's vault and into his bottomless hat. Over the years he'd grown older, but was as tricky as ever. The team was a little less aggressive with him now, since they didn't want him to break his hip in the getaway.

"There's nothing like having an audience of presidents," he chuckled to himself as the money continued to fly into his hat.

"Sorry, Mumbo, but I doubt any president would want to be at any show of yours," said Nightwing.

Mumbo turned around and saw the three Titans. "I quite disagree," said Mumbo, smiling. "They seem to like this particular act a lot!" He turned his hat towards them and from within they could hear a thunderous applause.

"You still use that old hat trick?" asked Raven, crossing her arms.

"Well, well, look who's back," said Mumbo. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd ever see the likes of you again. An event like this calls for a special show!"

"We are not interested in any show of yours," said Starfire.

"Oh, but I've got a really good one!" said Mumbo, pouting.

"You know what would be a great show?" said Raven. "Watching you give back the money and come with us quietly without any ridiculous 'magic' stunts."

"Sorry, no can do," said Mumbo. "That's one act I'll never perform. Mumbo jumbo!" And with that the money ceased to fly into his hat and, instead, went after the three Titans.

"Titans, go!" said Nightwing and they went into action.

Starfire blasted the money away before they could wrap around her, but unfortunately flew into her face and blinded her. Nightwing fought off the bills and headed straight for Mumbo, but the magician had more tricks up his sleeves.

"Kazzam!" he shouted and thousands of rolls of coins exploded and began to pelt the team's leader.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried out and did a clear sweep of all the money that was attacking her teammates. She kept them secured in a tight dark energy bubble and threw it all back into the vault.

"Ooh, forgot you could do that," said Mumbo. "No matter, I'm not finished yet. Time for the grand finale! Hocus Pocus!"

The money, that was back in the vault, became a large tornado, swept up Mumbo Jumbo, and then proceeded to leave the bank. Starfire shot more starbolts at him, but she only burnt a few bills; he was safe inside.

"We've got to stop him before he makes it outside," said Nightwing.

"Leave that to me," said Raven, who melted through the floor.

Mumbo felt quite content as he rode his tornado of cash through the bank and was nearing the exit. He suddenly felt someone grab him and he went flying through a black portal that instantly turned into the vault room in the back of the bank. He was back where he started! And without the money. Nightwing instantly grabbed him and threw his hat to his wife.

"What the… what just happened?" asked a confused Mumbo Jumbo.

"I pulled the curtain on your big finale," said Raven, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"Nice job, Raven," said Nightwing.

"Yes, you did wonderfully!" said Starfire.

"I told you he was one of the easiest villains to take down," said Raven.

"I'll take him to the station," said Nightwing. "You two can go home. I'm sure Beast Boy's made himself sick with nervousness."

"Yes, I suppose I should let my husband know I'm still alive," said Raven.

The two women flew home and found that everything was fine. Of course, the moment Beast Boy saw his wife he let out a sigh of relief and everyone could see him relax. Seeing that she was fine and safe he knew she could go on missions now without him worrying.

"Trust me, Beast Boy, you had nothing to worry about," said Raven. "It was actually a whole lot easier than even I thought."

"Well, wait until you get an actually threatening villain," said Beast Boy. "Then you'll get a good workout."

"I look forward to it," said Raven.


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the Property of DC Comics**

Chapter 40

It felt like a hundred years since she'd been here. As soon as she walked inside her memories went wild by the smells, sounds, and very feel of the building around her. She felt safe her; her home away from home. And she knew Crystal felt the same way.

"How many books can I get?" she asked excitedly as soon as they entered the library.

"As many as you can read," said Raven. She was pushing the triple stroller where the triplets were sleeping.

"Can we spend all day here?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me," said Raven.

"Aw, come on," Beast Boy whined. "I don't want to spend all day here!"

"But look at all the books!" said Crystal. "I wish I could live here."

"You are _not_ my daughter," said Beast Boy, crossing his arms and looking away from her.

"Don't listen to him," said Raven. "Now go look for some good books."

Crystal happily ran off into the children's section and began her search. Raven wheeled the stroller into that section as well and found an empty table. She took a seat, made sure all three babies were still asleep, and took out the book she was currently reading. Beast Boy unhappily took a seat as well, his arms still crossed.

"Do we really have to spend all day here?" he sighed.

"You know, there's a computer lab," said Raven.

He instantly sat right up. "Really? Where?" he asked.

"It's just past the Science section," said Raven.

"Awesome!" he said and ran off. He came back three seconds later asking, "Where's the Science section?"

"Go ask the librarian," said Raven.

"But you were the librarian, once," said Beast Boy.

"And now I'm not," she responded. "Now go before you make me loose my place again."

Crystal soon found Raven and placed all of the books she'd chosen on the table. "Where's daddy?" she asked.

"He went to play videogames in the computer lab," said Raven.

"How come he doesn't like to read?" asked Crystal.

"I don't know," said Raven. "Some people like to read, some people like to watch movies and play videogames."

"What if you like to do all three?" asked Crystal.

"Then you're a renaissance woman," said Raven with a smile.

"And what does that mean?" asked Crystal.

"That means you're going to be leader of the Titans someday," said Raven.

"I knew it!" said Crystal. She was immediately bombarded with people telling her to hush. Embarrassed, she sat down and got a book to start reading.

A while later the children's section began to fill with children who were there for story time. And all of the children who showed up remembered Raven and gave her hugs, telling her they missed her. She hadn't read to them in over a year and they begged her to read. Evidently the newest story reader wasn't as good as she was. And Raven couldn't turn them down.

Three hours passed and Beast Boy's eyes were burning from staring at the computer screen for so long. He decided to see how the rest of his family was and hoped they could go home. He was shocked to find Raven reading to nearly thirty children. Crystal sat on one side of her and the stroller was on the other. He couldn't help but see how happy and content his wife was reading to all of those children. He thought it was quite funny that nearly a decade before she'd absolutely refused to have anything to do with children. He looked for a seat, since there were many parents there as well, and once he found one he sat and observed.

"…and they lived happily ever after until the end of their days," she said, closing yet another book that held the words of a fairytale.

All the kids clapped and shouted, "Another, another!"

"I think that's enough for today," said Raven as she heard Larkin beginning to cry. She reached into the stroller and picked her up, hushing her.

"Can you come again next week?" asked a little boy.

"We'll see," said Raven, rubbing Larkin's back as she continued to whimper.

"We really miss you, Ms. Rachel," said a little girl, to which all the other children agreed.

"I know, I miss all of you, too," said Rachel, placing Larkin back in the stroller and standing up.

"Why don't you work here anymore?" asked another little boy.

"Because I have a new job and I'm a mom now," said Raven. "And it's time my little ones went home."

All of the children took the hint and began to disperse. Crystal gathered up all of the books she hadn't read and went to the front desk to check them out. Raven made sure the triplets were all set and headed for the exit, where she saw Beast Boy standing and waiting.

"I hope we didn't take too long," said Raven, no remorse in her voice.

"Nope, I just finished my game," said Beast Boy with a smile. "Ready to go?"

"Once Crystal's checked out her books we are," said Raven.

They waited and soon the young girl ran over to them with all of her books. And with that the family headed out. Cyborg had designed a new SUV for the Logan family so they could all travel together, since they couldn't fit in the T-car any longer; not with three car seats.

"How many books did you get?" Beast Boy asked his daughter.

"Seven," said Crystal. "And I read two while we were there!"

"And how many books did you read, Rae?" asked Beast Boy.

"Well, I never finished my book, but I read the children a few," said Raven.

"You sure like reading to kids, huh?" said Beast Boy.

"I have to admit, I do," said Raven.

"You know, I was thinking," he began.

"You? Thinking?" quipped Raven, causing Crystal to laugh.

He frowned for a moment then continued. "I was thinking that you should go back to the library," he said.

"Go back?" she said. "What do you mean?"

"I think you should work there, again," he explained. "In the children's section at least."

"I've got far too much to do to be a librarian again," said Raven.

"Yeah, but it makes you so happy," said Beast Boy. "The kids love you and you love the kids. I don't see why you couldn't."

"Three reasons," said Raven. "Liam, Larkin, and Lily."

"Well, when they get older," said Beast Boy. "Then either I can watch them or you can bring them with you. You know, get them loving books at an early age. You did it with Crystal when she was two. I really think you should think about it."

Raven took all this in and let her self think for a moment. "It would be nice to work there again," she said. "And if I did work there I'd be pulling in some extra cash for us. And the kids would always have access to books. And, on the plus side for you, I'd be in a safe environment."

"See?" he said with a smile. "There are no downsides!"

"Hmm," said Raven, thinking some more. "What do you think, Crystal?"

"I think it's a great idea!" said Crystal with a big smile.

"Well, I'll think about it," said Raven. "But my first priority is taking care of my children."

They arrived home and Crystal went to her room with her books. Raven and Beast Boy brought the babies to the nursery so they could be fed. Once that long task was done they were burped and put down to sleep. Raven went off to meditate and Beast Boy decided to hang out with the guys for a while.

"So, you have fun at the library?" Cyborg smirked as he worked on one of the various T-vehicles. Nightwing was helping, though it was more like just watching since Cyborg wouldn't let anyone work on the cars but him, and now so was Beast Boy. The three men would often go down to the garage to hang out and act like 'men'.

"Did you know they have a computer lab?" said Beast Boy.

"They do?" said Cyborg.

"Yeah," said Beast Boy. "I spent the whole time playing videogames."

"I bet Raven was glad to be there," said Nightwing.

"Oh yeah," said Beast Boy. "When I left she was reading to herself and when I came back she was reading to like three dozen kids!"

"Never thought our Raven would be so drawn to kids," Cyborg chuckled.

"I know," said Nightwing. "She never seemed the type."

"Well, she really is," said Beast Boy. "And I suggested that she take her job at the library again."

"You did?" asked Nightwing.

"Yeah," said Beast Boy. "She really loved that job and seeing her there today, reading to all of the kids, I really saw how much she enjoys it and so do all of the kids."

"And what did she say when you suggested this?" asked Cyborg.

"She said she'd think about it," said Beast Boy. "But I think she's leaning towards it."

"Well, I don't see any reason for her not to," said Nightwing. "I mean, other than calling her out for those hard missions when we need everyone, I think we're all set, fighting wise, without her. But don't tell her I said that."

"I didn't hear anything," Cyborg smirked.

"Well, knowing you guys are supporting this she'll definitely consider it," said Beast Boy.

Raven finished meditating, checked once more on the babies, and then headed off to the common room. She found everyone else already there. She saw her husband sitting on the couch and decided to go join him. He and Cyborg were playing videogames, which she couldn't believe since he'd already spent three hours playing them at the library that day. She took a seat next to him, not that he noticed. But she didn't mind.

"You're so going down!" said Cyborg.

"Not this time, trashcan!" said Beast Boy.

"Where is the gravy?" asked Starfire from the kitchen.

"We're out," said Bumblebee.

"Mom, I don't wanna do this homework anymore!" complained Taye.

"Nicole, how did you get marker all over your face?" said Nightwing.

"I let Jack and Eric put it on," said Nicole. "It's my makeup!"

"Could you guys be quiet?" said Crystal. "I'm reading."

"Hey, you can't do that!" said Beast Boy.

"Oh, yeah I can!" said Cyborg triumphantly.

"Who has misplaced the colander?" asked Starfire.

"Isn't it under the sink?" said Bumblebee.

"Done!" said Taye, shoving all of his homework into a folder and running off.

"Is this permanent?!" exclaimed Nightwing.

"I dunno," Nicole shrugged.

"Quiet!" demanded Crystal.

Raven listened to the chaos around her and couldn't help but smile. She knew that when she was younger she would've hated all of this noise and commotion, but right now she wouldn't have it any other way. She couldn't believe that she might have missed out on all of this if not for that faithful day over a year before when Beast Boy had found her in the library. She always knew books would save her life in the long run.

**The End**

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